The Journey
by FreezePride
Summary: Even (Vexen), Ienzo, Aeleus, Lumaria and Arlene Darkness lingers at the threshold of the doors between worlds. The reawakened nobodies are at as loss as how to protect all that they hold dear, when it finally occurs to them: in order to fall pray to the Darkness, it has to catch them first. Aeleus, Even, Ienzo, Lumaria and Arlene are now all on the run. [ MarVex, LexZex ]
1. Chapter 1

The day was bright and sunny, not at all like the day one might expect an adventure of this nature to begin on. No, there were no looming slate colored clouds to block out the sun's cheery rays, no crashes of thunder to interrupt the bubbling tunes of the songbirds, there was not even a drop of rain to dampen the cheerful green leaves of the verdant forests surrounding the castle grounds of Ansem the Wise. This was certainly not the kind of day to on which something terrible happens.

But something terrible was, in fact, happening and there was nothing which could be done to stop it.

The vibrant rays of light poured down on the expectant fresh green leaves of the roses, which, splayed outward, seemed to soak in the attention willing, needy. Their overseer watched with keen interest, and a subtle approving nod, a smile barely gracing his delicately handsome features, as though his emotions were carefully hidden behind his own beautiful mask. With a graceful, yet purposeful gesture, patted the dirt from his palms against his cotton pants and wiped the sweat from his brow. Comfortably warm as this weather may be, he had still been working since early morning to tend to the newest spring blooms as they struggled at their weakest.

"Lumaria!" The man perked, casting a glance over to the approaching female as she neared with purposeful gait. "Will you stop digging around the the dirt for five minutes and just calm down?" She snipped, casting a baleful glance from his face to his dirt covered hands, to the appreciative roses and then back again. Hand on one curvaceous hip, she sighed exasperated as electric blue eyes stared up into the crystalline tones of her companion's. "They look great. Are you done yet?" She asked in a tone that was quite clearly telling him that he was already done.

"For now, yes." He humored her with a winning smile, watching as her eyes were locked on to his hands with a exasperation that demanded he wash up immediately. "The new blooms have been accounted for but one can never be too careful." His voice was smooth, calm despite the sweat which glistened on his porcelain face, telling of exactly how many hours of concentration he had spent tending to the blossoms. They certainly showed it.

"They look great, let's go." She ended the subject, absolutely deadpan with a grudging grin on her impatient face. Running a stray hand through her short blond hair, she reflected that she should be used to this by now, she really should. Lumaria's obsession with gardening was nothing new, and frankly, her own allowance of it really did nothing to change this fact.

But why fix something that wasn't broken?, She gave an exasperated sigh, but then again, she was probably the only one in Radiant Garden who could give such a dramatic sigh and still look pleased.

Meanwhile, within the castle, things were going just as mundanely as they did on a daily basis, unbeknownst of anything which might be even minutely (or even heart-wrenchingly) amiss.

The library was vast. It was a kaleidoscope of the written word, a shrine paying homage to knowledge and those with the gumption, intelligence and general insanity to stick with it. Books lined the walls, ordered with the precision of soldiers in prim uniforms, awaiting commands to jump forth and serve at their master's whim. Cheery sunlight dodged and filtered through heavy velvet curtains which muffled the sounds of the outside world, closing the volumes in a protective padding of gentle soundless air, outlawing distractions dutifully and even forcefully.

Volumes were stacked from floor to ceiling, parchment spiraled neatly at their designated shelves and corners. The only aspect of the libraries which seemed out of place were it's occupants, who greedily devoured the text before them like men starved.

The blond man seated at a desk was hunched over peering down a scientific tomb and writing at a rate which many would argue was physically impossible. His verdant green eyes did not blink as they scanned the text, just as his hand did not pause in it's efforts. His cornsilk hair paled in the strong sunlight, casting it a in nearly white hues as he worked on tirelessly, a man obsessed and far too focused.

His companion glanced one crystalline blue eye over his own volume (the other eye characteristically hidden by a curtain of slate blue hair), to spy on his counterpart with a knowing frustration. He was in one of those _moods_ again. With an easy shift in his padded armchair, for the study truly was like a second home to him, he adjusted his lab coat and slipped the book shut in lieu of a heavy piece of papyrus to peer down at to distract himself from the scritch-scritch of his companion's pen. With a roll of his eye, he knew without even bothering to ask that Even would be lost within his own studies for weeks, and may even forget that there are still people here in the castle with him with the same goal as he: to protect and restore Radiant Gardens and avoid becoming drones of the wicked Xehanort once again.

His slender finger ran across the rough surface of the page, testing and prodding as he read through the dead language with an expertise that only a prodigy could boast, but then again, could he really expect any less of himself? The drones of Xehanort were putting things lightly, and he shared the worry that he saw written all over his mentor's face. Even was not a man to take things lightly on a good day, what would stop him from taking it even worse on a stressful one.

And thus the tense silence between them hung thickly like a fog, even in the beautiful weather that threatened to interrupt them from the windowsill. Neither noticed. Neither cared. Ienzo was looking at Even; Even was looking at his book and no one was even thinking of the guards. Perhaps they should have been, because as Even sighed and ran a stray hand through his own blond locks and Ienzo muttered darkly that their studies were getting them _absolutely nowhere_, terrible things were beginning to happen right under their noses.

"Go away!" Dilan's voice was raw, loud, and nigh inhuman. The sheer tone of it was something which Aeleus recognized but certainly did not want to admit to. Admitting, even inwardly, was giving up hope and hope was what the former apprentices were running off of since their reintroduction to this world: hope and sheer, stubborn will to live once again as they did before.

The braided guard was hunched over, wheezing and doing his damnedest to cover his face, his eyes, anything at all and even going so far as to fling his weapon away from himself sloppily and haphazardly. They stood on the edge of the dense forest which surrounded the castle, and yet, even this bright, sing-song weather seemed enough to penetrate through the vast leaves of the soaring trees. None of their mood seemed to touch the braided guard as he staggered backward. The shadows of the trees leaned towards him, grasping at him like a needy lover.

"You're better than this, Dilan." Aeleus might have been able to convince himself that he was calm, but for the tremor in his hand as he clutched his axe, the leaden dread which settled in the pit of his stomach, heavy and unwieldy. The darkness was before him, around him, and eating away at his brother in arms. His words seemed all that might be able to reach him beyond physical force, and Gods forbid that he should have to use the latter. He cursed his luck, that his only available weapon be a spoken one, so unwieldy to a man of action such as himself. Words were the proper tool of an academic like Ienzo or Even, and were best left to them. He groaned, hating and fearing his own physical strength and knowing the outcome of the battle which was rapidly approaching.

"SAVE YOURSELF!" Dilan's voice was rapidly leaving him as the darkness gripped at his throat, clawing at him from the inside out, the ravenous beast which he so desperately sought to hide finally taking it's toll on the physical. Aeleus fought the urge to rush forward, to shake him out of this foolishness, this folly. He refused to let his friend be ransacked by the darkness which had plagued them so horrifyingly before. He would not allow Dilan to be torn asunder, to be converted back into his crudest, coldest, most inhumanly vicious form.

Back to Xaldin.

Aeleus rushed forward, not knowing what he was going to do, not knowing how to remedy what was so heinously amiss, but knowing that he needed to do something before it was far too late. "Fight it!" He urged, and his cry might have been something of a comfort if it wasn't for the fear in his eyes, for the weapon he had dropped in his wake (for how could he possibly fight Dilan?) but it was far too late before it even began. The tendrils wrapped about the guard and jerked him back before Aeleus could reach him. The anger on the man's face was unmistakable, yet the pain was so much more powerful. In a frozen, despair filled breath of a moment, Aeleus knew he was already too late.

Dilan was dragged into the darkness for a second time and Aeleus was left in the stunned silence of his wake. Numbly he stared forward, his mind not quite comprehending much else aside from the gentle sway of the blades of grass in the warm breeze on the spot where his friend had stood not just a few seconds before. With a deep breath, he let his heart beat slow, let the adrenaline which had been thundering through his system dwindle until finally he felt his senses return.

Dilan's sacrifice would not be in vain, and it certainly would not be the end. Aeleus knew what must be done.

"We knew this day would come." Even always had the innate ability to point out the most bluntly obvious fact at the most inopportune moment, but the gravity of it all had left the entire party rather mute. Someone needed to break that silence, and frankly, Even had never been very good at keeping his well-learned mouth shut. Thankfully enough for the lot of them, he was usually correct.

His poison green eyes scanned the congregation with a continually changing outlook. It was serious and heavy when he regarded Aeleus and Ienzo, yet tinged with disdain when it finally reached Lumaria and Arlene. Predictable, the master of the gardens reflected, locking eyes with the scientist as the setting sun cast a gentle glow on the humble living room, turning his normally pale skin to a lively pink. Aeleus' own face was shadowed with thought, knit with worry as he cast a dark glance to Ienzo, and then back to his massive hands which were folded neatly, politely before him. Arlene seemed eager to catch his own attention, and the expression which they exchanged spoke quite clearly where words simply could not. Thankfully, Arlene had no qualms about making their opinions known.

"We are so screwed." She chuckled bitterly.

"This is no laughing matter." Snapped Ienzo, sounding strikingly like his mentor for a brief moment before withdrawing back into himself, his own face unreadable. Aeleus knew exactly what he was thinking, he knew that tone better than his own voice. Arlene was probably right.

"And that is not entirely decided!" Even added speedily, his voice just a touch too loud, hinting at his expectation that he would have to fight to make his voice heard. When he did not face interruption, to his confused delight, he continued on. "Let us consider the facts before we doom ourselves to heartlessness once again."

"Fine, lets!" Arlene agreed, her usually sarcastic twitter far too shrill to cover the fear in her voice. "Xemnas is still out there and he's willing to hunt us down. We're sitting ducks and we don't stand a chance against a psycho like him! Darkness forbid that the villagers even try to pretend to care!" All of her points she ticked off on her manicured fingers were legitimate, truth be told. Lumaria had always admired her for that fact. Though she never longed to lead, she always had the uncanny ability to see the truth at face value, and such things were terribly useful, even when one did not want to know the truth.

"We stand alone, if we stand at all." Lumaria's voice was silk, hiding beautifully whatever emotions he might have been feeling. Steady, calm, even, he let on nothing of what he was thinking: a perfect assassin. Even twitched uncomfortably at this fact, knowing that their reputation around the village had yet to improve despite their prime efforts. The revamping of their inner technological guard system had rendered heartless attacks nigh unheard of, and their countless hours of study as to how to remedy the damage which had already been wrought had yet to account for much but lost sleep, excessive tension and an ongoing series of migraines.

Aeleus himself could not seem to remember the last time he had slept the full night through. He sighed deeply, feeling the academic's eyes on him, asking silently for his opinion. Worse yet, he felt the expectations of Ienzo as one crystalline blue eye fixated on him from the darkness of his own thoughts.

"He's right. If we fight, we die honorably." His voice was deep, soft, and almost regretful.

"If only it were so simple." Even groaned, running his slender fingers through his cornsilk colored hair as he shook his head slowly, as if trying to deny his thoughts, but being a man of fact and logic took it's toll. He could only see the situation for what it was worth, and frankly, it was worth a great deal of pain. "If we fight, we lose our hearts. Not only is Radiant Garden in danger at that point, but also every world we touch thereafter. We are putting lives on the line."

"So, do you suggest that we run?" Ienzo knew exactly where the conversation was headed, and his focused inquiry was a breath of fresh air in the muddled mind of his counterpart, Aeleus.

Lumaria'a bright eyes narrowing as they caught the last few rays of sunlight. "Do you take me for a coward?"

"I will not abandon Dilan." Aeleus persisted staunchly, and not for the first time during their conversation. Dilan had never been the same since the sudden disappearance of their 'guard' counterpart. The relationship between them was tumultuous at best to begin with, but it had always been something lingeringly strong, Aeleus reflected. His concern outweighed his curiosity as to exactly why the other man had turned to the darkness, but he was willing to bet that it had something to do with his braided friend's genuine interest in the other man.

That, and the fact that Dilan had been heartbroken at the loss of him.

"I have no intention of abandoning him either." Even agreed with an easily sensible logicality. It was the first thing that seemed 'sure' in their conversation since they agreed that they were royally screwed. "He is a powerful ally and we must re-convert him. This also means that we must be prepared to work with the keyblade masters to ensure that his heart returns intact and complete."

A beat of silence passed between them as they tried to deny the bitter taste of foul memories and defeat, of learning that Axel, or rather Lea, had been chosen by a keyblade, of reflecting on how very little he knew of the pain they had to suffer in his thoughtless, violent wake. Ienzo stifled a shudder and Even looked as though he had swallowed a particularly spiny insect. Arlene rolled her eyes. Men could be so very dogmatic at times, and she assumed that this may be because of their 'prideful' nature but in retrospect, it simply kept leading her to the same conclusion: Men are fucking dumb. She shared a meaningful glance with Lumaria, who's answer smirk was supportive, but the worry which sat heavily on his brow did not ease. Very peculiar.

"And then what?" She shot at Even, assuming him to be the leader of this discussion, the gears of her mind whirring as her eyes flashed cleverly and she fixed him with a clever grin. "We can either sit here and wait like a bunch of idiots, or we lead them in the wrong direction." Thinking on her toes, she decided with a small cackle, was definitely her strong suit. Even seemed dumbfounded and for a shadow of a second, as she held the eyes of the entire gathering. She crossed her arms, hoping that an outward sign of boredom would hide her discomfort.

"Yes!" Even all but shouted, quite pleasantly surprised with the prospect of an answer aside from the most obvious. Ienzo tilted his head pensively as Aeleus looked from the young woman to the scholar and then back, as though trying to garner something far deeper than just words of agreement. There was a plan simmering here, and one which simply needed a bit of extra attention to by the right people. "For once, your foul mouthed antics have produced an outcome which I do not entirely oppose with every fiber of my being." Yes, she knew it was too good to be true. Leave it up to the scientist to ruin a perfectly enjoyable moment. "If we were to travel away from here, I would safely assess that not only would we draw the darkness away from this world for the time being, but we could buy time for the keyblade masters to hunt down Dilan's heart to free it. Not only that, but there are the other former members to keep in mind."

The thoughtful pause brought to mind all those who were not present, those who had chosen to go and travel before even the thought of escape from the claws of darkness had begun. "Are we looking to warn them?" Ienzo leaned forward in his seat, fixing a steady look at Even, who answered in turn.

"It would only be logical."

Aeleus crossed his arms over his well built frame, uncharacteristically tense, yet understandably so. This was no small decision. "And, would we bring the darkness to their doorstep in doing so, if we truly are being pursued."

"But would it not be far worse if they were simply caught off guard altogether?" Lumaria murmured, clearly siding with Arlene. To his surprise, Aeleus nodded that he, indeed, had a valid point and yet he did not ease in the slightest. His stance was still tense as ever.

Ienzo shook his head, slowly and thoughtfully as though trying to piece himself together in the wake of being punched in the stomach. Sometimes, life was like that, he reflected in frustration. "This is _very_ sudden." He admitted. Even hummed in agreement as Aeleus put a comforting hand on his shoulder. It made the young prodigy wonder exactly why anyone would ever consider the guardsman to be emotionally blunt. There was more understanding in that one action than he had felt since awakening.

"So, it's decided?" There was a note of restless finality to his tone, a hint of fear, yet decided assuredness.

With a frozen pause, each of them seemed about to protest. Even looked with absolute distaste at Lumaria, who glared back with an unreadable grin on his smooth features. Ienzo locked eyes with Aeleus for reassurance before he cast his glare on Arlene, who crossed her legs in a marked response and dared him to protest. Yet, they all remained remarkably silent. They knew, intrinsically, that there was safety in numbers. If they were to break apart, one could safely assume that their days were numbered. They hadn't the power to boast that sort of freedom at this time.

And who knew what Xehanort would be planning for them.

"We should prepare to leave." Lumaria broke the silence in what might have been considered a command if one looked just a touch too closely. Undoubtedly, it earned him a warning glance from the academic's piercing green eyes.

"I'll discuss this matter with the restoration committee." Even said bluntly, as though to contest Lumaria directly. Aeleus sighed softly. Some people never changed. "We will meet back here tomorrow morning. We leave at the break of dawn."

"Really?" Arlene blurted out, barely contained in her scorn of the notion. "Do you hate sleep or something? I know you don't get much of it, but that's no reason to rob a woman of her me-time! It's very important!" She finished with a scowl, finally settling for a rude gesture as she existed. Lumaria followed her smoothly, shooting one last glare at Even, who steadily returned it.

Aeleus seemed concerned with the broodingly silent Ienzo, who seemed rather concerned with himself at that moment. Even folded his hands on his lap and retreated into his own troubled thoughts.

The scientist had to admit, things like these simply were not to happen on days like this. It should have, by all arguments of the weather, been rainy, cold and miserable, and yet the benevolently gentle sun had settled just below the horizon line, turning the sky to a flaming red and dying the world a hopeful shade of pink.

It reminded him fearfully of fire.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Preparations had gone surprisingly smoothly, all things considered, and Even had the terribly sinking feeling that this may very well be the only aspect of this game of 'cat and mouse' which would. There were so many variables on the line, so very many chances to muck things up completely, that the scientist felt that if his luck was quickly running out even before their journey began. Being a man of logic, he knew that to achieve their goals, they would need to utilize all of their cunning, resourcefulness, and power.

He knew that the odds were slim, but he had seen less likely events occur, least of which getting their hearts back.

He set his tool case down, hearing the comfortingly familiar clank of bottles of chemicals and drafts of potions jostling for a better position, or instruments crammed into the side pockets pulling at the stitching. Throwing his lab coat about his shoulders, he found it fit him strangely well for him having not used it in quite some time. Occurrences like this were not unheard of, he reflected. They seemed to happen more and more often upon his return from heartlessness. Yet, there were still a great many changes which grated at his nerves, ones which he felt he might never be able to fully abide by.

The glares of the townspeople was one of them. Truly, the 'Radiant Garden Restoration Committee' had not been the slightest bit pleased to see the apprentices return. In actuality, they made no qualms about how much they despised them for their unwitting betrayal. True, they had left let them be after seeing that they were doing their damnest to restore Ansem's castle and the surrounding town to it former glory (and with the additional brilliance of Even and Ienzo tampering with the defense system as well as skilled and trained warriors like Aeleus and Dilan to guard the outer walls with an unceasing obedience, one would think they would be a bit more appeased), but their displeasure was only to be expected. They had, after all, caused this mess.

Even snapped his bag closed with a heavy sigh. He could avoid the rather weighty job no longer. It was time to confront them, inform them of what they were doing and the importance that it would serve in the long run. It was only logical after all. Hopefully they would be tacticians enough to understand that.

Meanwhile, Arlene had decided that packing was fucking boring and decided to, instead, do the next logical progression of activities: drinking. She had her kunai and she had extra undies. What else did a gorgeous girl like her really need on a prolonged trip anyway? If she was going to be forced to be with a crabby old scientist, a stoic guard who was built like Adonis, an emo little bookworm, and of course (the only companion she could actually see herself standing after about an hour or so) an equally gorgeous, if not a bit power-obsessed man, she shouldn't really be forced to do much work in turn.

She munched on a few chips as she threw some darts around her room with an agility and accuracy which few could brag, and fewer still could manage while licking salt off of her other fingertips.

They should be going already, she reasoned, throwing a few stray bottles of rum into her open bag just for good measure. Darkness knew she would need it.

There was a soft knock on her door. She knew that knock, and her pulse quickened despite herself. "What?" She called with a smirk, giving him permission to enter as she crossed her arms and and leaned one one hip with an air of aloofness which, she hoped, hid her attentiveness. Her door opened gently and revealed Lumaria, whose soft pink hair fell about his crystalline blue eyes with a nonchalance that made him absolutely delectable, in her opinion. His even, calm expression always seemed so self assured, even in the uncertainty of their new plans, their recent discoveries. He was carrying a reasonably sized bag of his own possessions, plain black leather with silver latches. His clothing was far too unassuming for one so beautiful, she reflected, tilting her head at the newcomer.

"You're finished packing?" He questioned, giving the mess of her quarters a wary eye as though something might jump out of her scattered mess and attack him. She gave him a wry grin.

"Of course." She replied lazily. "And you?"

"Yes." There was the ghost of a grin, a knowing smirk on his smooth face. She knew what that meant all too well. "Care for a distraction?"

"I thought you'd never ask." She laughed and beaconed him inside. He shut the door behind him. The lock clicked into place a heartbeat later, though Arlene wouldn't have been able to tell. Her's was racing.

Meanwhile, Ienzo couldn't decide how many books would be overkill. He supposed in all of their travels, they would need to know of antidotes, drafts and potion making, so having three separate books on that would be useful, but could it not still be considered important to have his seven more books on cultural literature on hand, in case they had to deal with some nasty locals who did not take normally welcome to those of their kind? He was torn on the subject, and that could only mean one thing as far as he was concerned. Bring them all.

His lexicon glowed brilliantly and slammed open with an impressive force, knocking several parchment scrolls from their vantage point on the desk before targeting the several different volumes of text which Ienzo had in mind for bringing. With a sound almost like the hungry suck of a drain pipe, the books disappeared and his Lexicon dimmed. He patted the large volume appreciatively. It never let him down, he reflected with more than a bit of pride.

He was always searching for more knowledge, and his own weapon reflected that with a particular astuteness that he felt could be replicated by no other object. It seemed to be an outward expression of his soul, in retrospect. He loved his Lexicon in a way that he felt none of the other members of their apprenticeship or even the former organization could understand. To the others, their weapons were defenders, aggressors or even just the outward expression of their ill-intent. Ienzo's Lexicon was almost like a familiar to him. It understood what he needed, it showed him exactly what he was looking for, even when he wasn't sure for what he searched. It was a comfort which few understood. True, lately it had been showing him a great many landscapes of trees and forests, but that was nothing to be too worried about. Maybe it was worried that he needed fresh air.

Either way, he was making sure to prepare himself in the only way he saw fit; with knowledge. Knowledge was power and power would serve them better than anything else that these other raving lunatics could bring. Excluding Aeleus, Ienzo was absolutely dreading the thought of having to spend more time than necessary with the rest of their malfunctioning group of misfit losers. He understood the importance, but he had to admit himself nearly unwilling to do so because it insured the prospect of having to deal with them. Even's constant nagging and rambling, Arlene's snarky and crass attitude, Lumaria's silent superiority complex and subsequent underlying threats, they were all entirely too exhausting. Aeleus was there to defend him against any possibility of attack, but it should not even be the question of having to deal with this utter ridiculousness.

To be entirely honest, it pissed him off.

He slammed his Lexicon shut (quickly taking a moment to speak soft words of apology to it for his outburst. These circumstances were already effecting his actions! Curses!) when he turned to realize that he was not alone. Stand inside the open door was Aeleus, his guard uniform looking well kept, if not a bit too worn these days for all of the extra work he had to shoulder to keep the town safe from harm. He was an expert fighter. He was moreso a caring guardian. How any one could manage to miss this apparent fact was quite beyond his knowledge, Ienzo reflected, but then again, the stupidity of individuals almost never failed to amaze him.

"Aeleus." He greeted, knowing that words were a second nature to him, while for his companion, they were anything but natural. "Are you prepared already?"

He shook his head slightly. "I need to pack food for us." He admitted. They shared the thought that if it were up to Even to bring along anything edible, they would be expected to live off of coffee fumes and chemical replacements for meals from now until when they returned, which none of them were really sure of to begin with. Ienzo would only trust Aeleus with such tasks; the man was an expert when it came to cooking and was unparalleled with his knowledge of nutrition. After all, his body was a calorie burning machine. The young prodigy used to joke that he was even building muscle when he was sleeping. Sometimes he wondered if he was correct in this notion, he thought appreciatively as he eyed the other man's exquisitely formed biceps. He could give Hercules a run for his money, Ienzo thought with a chuckle.

Aeleus seemed, or perhaps choose not to notice. It was hard to tell with the other man, but his intentions were typically for what he saw as the best. Ienzo reflected on how someone could possibly perceive the other man as a threat. Yes, he was rather large and imposing, but could not the same be said that he was almost always the one, without fail, that had their best interests in mind? People could always manage to be so very dim.

The guard was brilliant. How could people miss this?

"Carry on." He replied with an unnecessary flourish to his hand as he went back to going through his volumes upon volumes upon volumes of content which he deemed appropriate for bringing along. Darkness only knew he would need some extra distractions. Aeleus fixed him with a knowing look, an almost smile before he turned to leave once again.

The following morning came too soon. Ienzo knew that this was because the entire party had been dreading that moment. Arlene suspected it had been a trick of the light, or because that old geezer scientist had insisted on leaving at daybreak. Lumaria was certain that it most likely had to do with the shifting of the fields of power, the surroundings sensing a change before they could even confirm it entirely. Aeleus suspected it was because the task ahead of them would not be as easy as they first thought it to be, and none of them had thought it to be fairly simple to begin with.

Out of all of them though, it was Even that looked the most lost in his own reasoning. He knew that the morning had come too quickly because he had not bothered to sleep to prepare for it. The sun had been a rather rude alarm clock to a night which had not needed it to begin with. It was cheerful, bright, hopeful and everything which the assembled party was not. Even had instructed that they meet at the gummi ship docks within the castle courtyards.

The memories of his previous encounter with the so-called 'Restoration Committee' had been scathing. He had wanted nothing more than to flee that room at warp speed, but a necessary amount of respect towards the young organization had kept him planted until he made himself entirely clear. They had been opposed, of course and he had not found that surprising in the slightest. Perhaps it sounded suspicious, from their vantage point, that they had wanted to lead the enemy away in order to try to free Dilan from the snare of his own heartlessness, and also to provide the keyblade wielders with more time to train before the darkness took the battle to the homefront. They had suspected him from the moment he entered, and while he had braced himself for such a reaction, it didn't make the initial impact any easier.

He had been a respectable scientist at one time. Now, it simply felt like he was a child asking for permission. It was painfully obvious that they had wanted to protest, but Even had not been asking wholeheartedly for their blessing. No, he had been telling them what was going to be happening. He had a rather forceful way of making his own intentions known, even when the listener did not truly want to hear it.

Even had said they were leaving to buy them time and act as a distraction. It was a simple game of cat and mouse; surely they could understand that, if not benefit from it. They had fixed him with a collective perplexed look. Aeris alone was the only one who seemed to trust him. Her wide green eyes fixed in a gaze begged that he do the right thing; that he be a better man. His memories of his dark deeds reasoned that it was too late for such things. His logical brain argued that it was more than possible and he should stop being such a damned 'poet'.

The underground docks for all of the gummi ships might have been considered a cramped space if not kept so very organized. Not a bolt was out of place among all of the few ships which the 'garage' kept. They were neatly aligned and gleamingly clean, even in the glaringly harsh light of the florescent lights installed underground for the sake of clarity. Even lead the rest of the party towards a particularly large looking ship, whose cockpit was a breath away from touching the ceiling, gesturing with a fluid motion to it before he even began to speak. The ship itself was rather unassuming in it's decoration scheme, but it's brass exterior shown through the puffs of steam which it admitted at a regular variance with a calm sort of dignity which few possessed.

"We shall ride in Model XXX-11465." He decided, entirely unapologetic for not consulting the rest of the party. Arlene shifted her weight to one hip.

"How about we call it Beelzeboss?" There was a pause in which only the hiss of the ship could be heard.

"That is the most stupid-!" Even began but was concisely interrupted.

"That's quite easy to remember." Lumaria agreed, peering with a wicked sort of pleasure as the Scientist grit is teeth in response. "I agree with Arlene."

"That was not what my creation was supposed to be named! I prefer we call it Model-" But Even was cut off once again, this time by Ienzo.

"As long as you're not driving it." He surrendered, choosing his battles far more carefully as he shifted his own weight. Lexaeus huffed in agreement behind him, the weight of both of their bags not doing the slightest in tiring the huge man.

With a wicked smile, Even fixed the entire party with a grin which could freeze a sinner in church. "Of course I'm driving. It's _my_ ship." He cackled. "And if you'd prefer otherwise, you're free to hitch-hike across the space time continuum, but as far as our ride goes, the pilot seat is _mine_."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Atlantis was blue.

This wasn't to say that generally the feel of it was something sad, withdrawn or depressing. It wasn't the slate sort of blue that preceded a moody silence which spiraled off into the nothingness of the universe. No, this was a bright and welcoming blue, the sort of blue that foretold an adventure and dared you to take part.

This blue was beaconing one onward, and who dared to refuse such a lure?

The moment that the ship had crossed dimensions from the rapid fire battle of the surrounding asteroid belt, it began to slow with an adept ease that revealed none of the difficulty which it took to drive it. The sleek brassy exterior slid through the air with the ease of a fish through water before it hovered above the grassy outskirts of the city before slowly lowering itself.

The blue sky was dutifully ignored as the occupants of the ship tumbled off the contraption and on to solid ground with a remarkable thankfulness which could only be achieved through sheer and unadulterated horror. Aeleus quite literally looked to be on the verge of being sick, having turned from a healthy tone of skin, to stark white and then pale green in a matter of seconds. He had managed to keep himself held together just through his own concentration on the fact that they would be arriving eventually. Ienzo looked slightly worse for wear, unimpressed and annoyed, but if not entirely different from how he usually seemed (which was, in fact, unimpressed and annoyed). Arlene looked to be absolutely bristling with rage. She had a icy glare on her face that dared anyone around her to ask if she was 'alright'. Thankfully, no one did. Lumaria looked functional but not nearly what one might consider 'graceful' as he descended the stairs. Shell-shocked might have covered the wide eyed stare he was now casting out at his party, seeing them but not really quite seeing them.

Even strolled out. He was absolutely fine.

The shriek of anger from Arlene, combined with the snide, whining tones of Ienzo, along with the amazed silence of Lumaria and the soft groan of sickness from Aeleus was enough to make the self assured man jump back in horror, a distance of which he would never willingly admit in polite company. It all really boiled down into one statement though:

"Why do you drive like _that_?" Seemed to be the entire question in chorus, all of the assembled party seeming to think that this was something on which they could have common ground.

"Like what?" Even quipped, eyebrow raised, trying just a hint too hard not to know what they were speaking of.

"Like you have a death wish." Lumaria finished, an annoyed twinge to his usually smooth, deep tones.

Even drew himself up, looking far more self-important than he could actually brag. "I do _not_ drive like I have a death wish." He snapped, indignantly.

"No, you drive like you want to kill all of us." Arlene shot back. Aeleus groaned in the background, almost as if in agreement.

"That's a lie-"

"No, it's the truth." Ienzo interjected with the battle-worn air of one who has experienced this situation before time and time again. He was answered with a scathing glare from the man in question. He dutifully ignored it, running a stray hand through his slate gray hair and taking deep breaths to gain back his equilibrium. "I have never had a ride with you that I have not deeply regretted giving you the wheel."

"SILENCE! I'm an impeccable driver, and furthermore, it's MY ship!" Even screeched, gesturing to the exquisite machine beside him.

"Doesn't give you the right to nearly murder us." Arlene huffed, glancing back to Aeleus who looked sicker than she'd ever seen the big man look before. Ienzo approached him, touching his arm gently to get his attention. The other man straightened, looking (if possible) more grim than usual, but the paleness was fading into his usual healthy shade, even as he glanced down. He nodded, keeping his mouth carefully, tightly closed.

Lumaria was fixing Even with a pointed stare which made the scientist squirm slightly under his gaze. "You created this ship?" He questioned, leaning against the railing while his sense of direction righted itself after it's topsy turvy ride.

"Yes." He responded with a note of pride which he kept carefully in check, giving the ship itself an affectionate pat. "I built it in order to travel between worlds at the fastest available speeds." Ienzo snorted from somewhere in the background. "Some may consider it a result of my impatience," he shot a searing glare at the young prodigy before turning back to the other man. "but it's effectiveness cannot be disputed."

Lumaria seemed thoughtful at this comment but said nothing in return, only running his sapphire blue eyes across the ship's exterior before he heard a noise behind them. He whirled around, forgetting his own sickness completely and drawing a short dagger from his boot. If this was to be an ambush, he would certainly not be caught unawares. They would have to do better than this to fool the most adapt Assassin this world and any other had ever encountered. The others had been set on their guard, glancing over to the source of Lumaria's sudden motions only to be greeted in quite an unexpected way.

"Master Even?" Apparently he liked the sound of that epithet, because Even perked up rather speedily at the sound of that solitary voice. He peered forward, into the aqua mist which surrounded them like the haze of a fog, questioning his memory for a moment, mouthing the name before he finally spoke in response.

"Milo Thatch." It was far more of a statement, a sure-footed command than a question. All the same, another young man tumbled forward from the murkiness which encapsulated them. He had yellowish blond hair and large, thick, round glasses which perched on the end of a straight-bridged nose, his lanky body flailing somewhat as he stepped blindly forward, but regardless, he looked rather elated.

"It is you!" He exclaimed, rushing forward and grasping the tall scientist by the hand, shaking vigorously so that Even's hair was a blur of cornsilk blond before he pulled away, massaging his fingers slightly with a grimace. 'Milo', apparently, was a bundle of energy which could not possibly be contained by his scrawny body which was dressed in a tunic-like robe of deep aqua which matched the blues which circulated about him almost exactly. If it had not been for his clumsy motions, he would have been extremely well hidden.

Even seemed amazed to see the young man, but nothing compared to the sheer awe which the other man was displaying. "How did you get here?" He asked, his eyes, if possible, wider than before, his glasses magnifying them unnecessarily. Even gestured to the sleek ship behind them, it's shining surface dulled by the blue mist surrounding them.

"Oh." Milo nodded succinctly, taking a moment to glance at the impressive sight before turning back to the 'Master'. "Who are your companions?" He asked tentatively, giving a worried glance to Aeleus' rather impressive size and grim demeanor.

Even stepped around the gathered individuals, gesturing to each one rather smoothly. "This is Lumaria, Arlene," he pointed, Milo's eye following in rapt attention. "Aeleus, and Ienzo. Of course, you know me." He finished indulgently, poison green eyes glinting in the murky atmosphere as he seemed to relish that finishing statement.

And truly, Milo seemed enchanted. "It's been ages, Master Even." He burst out, looking at the scientist fondly. "My apprenticeship ended a while ago, but I always wondered how you were doing. It's so difficult to communicate," He paused, dropping his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "between worlds." He finally finished.

The entire assembled party of natives stared at the ship, dumbfounded. So much for keeping a low profile, Ienzo reflected.

"Well," Even broke the silence, never having been one to shut up for long. "Where exactly do we find ourselves, Milo?"

The young man gestured grandly in response to the assembled people behind him. "You've reached Atlantis, and these are a few of the Atlantean royal guard. Truth be told, you've landed yourselves quite near to the royal castle's side of the city, hence why they're here." He admitted with a trusting, easy shrug, as though it were entirely normal for the royal assembly to be called out on a breeching of their 'universe'.

Granted, the Atlantean guards walked with an ease and confidence that came with time and training. Aeleus was on his guard, upon noting this, but he did not sense danger from these newcomers. Arlene was giving them an appraising look, noting the graceful drape of their blue garments, the deep, smooth mocha tone of their skin and admitting inwardly that she really was somewhat unnerved at her instinctive association with Xemnas at this fact. With a subtle shiver that only Lumaria noticed, she crossed her arms in a huff.

Milo opened his arms warmly in welcome to the new guests. "I'll take you to the palace." He motioned for them to follow, his smile wider and more excited then ever.

Oh goody, Ienzo thought sullenly. _Another_ damn scientist. Just what he needed.

Walking through the greenish blue streets of Atlantis had been quite the eyeopening experience. In their own subtle way, the hanging drapes and storefronts seemed to have their old flavor of a tired and overused aura, and yet there was a thrum of hope that ran throughout the people that seemed to overturn that first assumption completely. Children ran through the streets, observing the newcomers curiously with their piercing blue eyes. It put Ienzo on edge, and while he remained rather sullen, the dynamic duo of scientists up ahead insisted on talking animatedly about how exactly the territory of this new land even worked, exchanging facts in rapt detail which no one cared to listen to entirely.

Aeleus seemed concerned, casting worried glance to Ienzo every once in a while, hoping he didn't notice (which of course, he always did). Lumaria was, as always, smoothly unreadable beneath his beautiful facade of uncaring. The hint of a smile at his lips did nothing to betray his thoughts. Arlene waved to the crowd, sending them a brilliant flash of a grin, whispering to the roset immediately afterwards, "Oh, good lord. Did you see their hair? They're all quasi-albinos or something." She hissed, gesturing to a nearby crowd of curious teenagers.

The introduction to the newest queen of Atlantis had gone much more smoothly, if not a tad bit rushed. Her royal highness Kidagakash Nedakh (or Kida as she insisted that they call her) was warm with her greeting, but prompt, which all parties appreciated. Despite the ongoing scientific ramblings going on between Even and Milo, all of those present were rather drawn from their journey. It was a relief for them to be finally shown to their sleeping den.

Which, to their dismay, seemed to be entire communal.

Marluxia's eyes narrowed in distaste at the look of the soft cushions which were arranged invitingly on the floor, as though they were an insult to his station in life. Arlene shrugged at both his pouting and the living arrangements. Fortunately for the motley crew, their traveling gear had been deposited in their room for their convenience, most likely by the guards who had grudgingly carried them (most likely out of courtesy).

Ienzo was still glaring at the scientific wonder-twins as they made half-hearted attempts to quell their curiosity for the night so that all present could some sleep.

"Well, Gents, it's been a long day." Arlene interrupted in a scathing tone as she stretched her deliciously curvy body with a smooth ease. "I'm going to get some much needed shut eye, so nighty night, all." And with an elegantly turn on heel, she neared one of the provided embroidered cushions and did something entirely unexpected.

Milo's eyes widened (if that was entirely possible) as he muttered an apology and left the room hastily in an overexcited blur of blue robes. Even looked on with disgust before turning to his own self-appointed 'bed' as a distraction. Lumaria looked appraisingly at her, rather proud in retrospect, while Ienzo had to admit himself more than a bit amused. Aeleus turned away respectfully, a blush he would never admit to later tinging his cheeks.

None of them had been aware that Arlene slept in the buff.


	4. Chapter 4

It really had been enough. For Darkness's sake, they had been talking for what felt like hours now and that didn't even account for the insanity of yesterday's incessant rambling between the scientific wonder twins. Ienzo contemplated the physics involved with taking one of those 'turn key' like crystals and shoving it straight up Even's-

"Ienzo!" As if on cue, Even's shrill tone knocked his thoughts from their violent trajectory. "Have you finished your portion of the translations?" Before the scientist could even continue to nag him further, Ienzo moodily shoved his written pages at him. He quirked a brow at the implied tone for a word that was never even said. "Calm yourself." Even chided, hardly giving the young man a second glance as he straightened out the papers and took them back to Milo.

They occupied the castle library within the royal palace of Atlantis. It was not to say that Ienzo was unsurprised, but the room could only be described as humid. The blue tint of their surroundings did nothing to allay this overwhelming sensation. The paper seemed soaked to his sensitive fingers, and frankly, he couldn't even stand thinking on that. The amount of water which was contaminating these historic, beautiful works was immeasurable and heartbreaking. Now he felt like screaming at Milo for letting this neglect continue.

The entire point of them coming here had been to keep a low profile, to distract the darkness which was, in theory, dogging their every move. It was not to play 'the adventuring archeologist' and try to help translate their volumes and volumes and volumes of work to unlock the secrets of Atlantis' history. Granted, Ienzo had been absolutely intrigued by their past, enthralled by their story, overwhelmed by their tragedy, but he'd be damned if he'd admit it to that overexcited little twit.

Milo.

He fumed, looking at Even and Milo as they shared some sort of inside joke and cast Ienzo a sidelong, (and to his eyes) somewhat pitying glance. The book before him slammed shut, entirely unbidden but not unsatisfying. Even snapped his attention to the sullen young prodigy.

"Ienzo, what are you-" He began, but Ienzo shoved himself from his seat, sparing Even an unimpressed, bored glance before stepping towards the door.

"I'm heading out for some air." He deadpanned, waving an uncaring hand before strolling away. Milo looked dumbfounded as he adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose before looking back to Even for an explanation. The scientist gave him a one shouldered shrug in response.

"He's just being sassy again."

The outdoors of this clear new day were peaceful and serene, aside from the rumble of gossip traveling through the entire city. It was not hostile in the slightest, Lumaria noted with a good deal of satisfaction as he wore his winning, enigmatic smile while exploring his surroundings. It had not taken long for him to decide that it was high time he explored this inviting city. This new culture was oddly welcoming for one that seemed so very hard to read and downright alien to his senses. It was striking, yet comforting.

The cobblestones of the streets were worn with the activities of centuries of use, wagon wheels digging a track to where the fish vendor was selling his wares, the smell of spices tinging the air with an earthen potent tang, the fruit vendor crying out to the crowds how his produce was simply the finest in all the city. The hustle, the bustle, the absolute quaintness of it all in it's predictability; it reminded him unwillingly of home.

His smile faded.

Thankfully enough, he was not alone within the market place. Peering around to one of the less crowded areas, he nearly missed the still form of Aeleus, which was a feat within itself. He marveled, amazed for a beat of a moment, that a man built as if from the stone itself, towering at probably around seven feet tall if not more could manage to blend in by simply standing aside and being accommodating to the rest of the crowd. His expression was, as usual, unreadable, but when a young family passed by and noticed his large frame, he nodded easily at them as a greeting and they seemed quickly allayed as they hurried off.

His back was to a short garden wall. On the other side, the cough of a child sounded in a weak little huff. Marluxia peered around the corner, smoothly dodging vendors and shoppers alike. It was a small child, her white hair falling over her mocha colored skin, just a tinge lighter than all of the other children around the excitement. She was drawing somewhat restlessly on a few blank scrolls before her with a muddy looking ink and a worn out bamboo rod. A smiling sun, a happy flower, delightfully lopsided yet surprisingly skilled for one her age.

Her drawings were far happier than she seemed, he noted.

The clatter of stones jolted him from his thoughts. A few rowdy boys trampled along the path, laughing shrilly as they tossed another few pebbles her way, smearing the still drying ink. With fearful anger, her little voice rose and shouted something unintelligible by his understanding. The boys stopped mid-laugh, their cruel smiles frozen on their faces as they faded into fear and then horror. The young girl smiled, satisfied to see that they were finally taking her beautiful craft seriously. Of course she didn't notice the shadow cast from the towering figure directly behind her, glaring stonily down at the boys in a wordless threat. Aeleus's thick, tree-trunk sized arms were crossed over his massive chest as he stood his ground. It took mere seconds for the boys to quail in fear and run off shrieking.

Had the girl turned around just a hint faster, or perhaps noticed that lengthy shadow just a second sooner, perhaps she would have spotted Aeleus, but the guardian was a bit too quick on his toes for that. He had ducked back into his rather mundane hiding space before she had a chance to spot him.

He recognized the slow, sauntering cadence of the sound of her steps before he heard her voice from his side. "He's been doing that for hours now." Arlene murmured in undertones by way of greeting him. Marluxia knew exactly what that trill of her voice meant; she was intrigued. "Seems pretty genuine." She trailed, and Lumaria felt her lean casually on one hip. He spared her a sidelong glance, taking not of how exquisitely those draping fabrics lay on her curved form. Aqua blue suited her, he had to admit.

"They certainly didn't call him the 'Silent Hero' for nothing." Came a snide remark to his other side. Ienzo's footfalls were quick, yet careful as he approached the duo. His eyes, though, were locked on the stoic man who was thankfully out of earshot. He walked easily and faked boredom quite well, Lumaria decided, glancing at his own robed form, and noting it's measured grace, but the stressful knot of how he held his shoulders was something which even Ienzo couldn't have discerned.

Trying to prove something, hm, Ienzo?

As if on cue, sensing the presence of his counterpart, Aeleus cast his attention around and then directly at the assembled trio before they could continue their discussion. Something about his stern expression seemed to ease as he tilted his head in slight confusion. Ienzo cast him a knowing smile. The small child, the lonely past-time, the bullies being deterred all to easily by a certain someone. It was all too familiar. Ienzo gave him a small wave of greeting. He nodded in confirmation.

He knew Ienzo was there, but had no idea what they could possibly be watching him for. He was not even really doing anything. Ienzo, of course, understood all of this from that single motion. The other two were left woefully in the dark. Lumaria raised his graceful eyebrows in slight surprise as Ienzo stepped around the two to continue on.

"I'll be heading back to the labs. I think I may be able to do a bit more decoding if I just sit as far as possible from Even and Milo's incessant ramblings." He sighed, exasperated and inconsolable as he continued on. Lumaria cast a confused look at his blond companion. She returned the look exactly. There was no telling what those two scientific nerds were thinking, but either way, for now it seemed quite a bit less interesting than watching the Silent Hero at work before them, for now.

The sound of a gargantuan tome echoed like a gong around the private study of the castle. Milo adjusted his glasses (which had slanted, yet again) as he cast Even another inquisitive, excited glance, thinking he may have found something of interest. Even sighed in response, as though satisfied by a filling meal. "Nothing of your history, but I must admit, this culture is quite amazing. I only wish there were some more contemporary records." He commented with an lazy wave of his hand, as though to ward off unnecessary questions.

"It's a shame that they lost their method of reading and writing when they did." Milo commented with a note of regret lingering in his reedy voice as Even nodded in understand, flipping back and forth between a few pages of his own.

"Ienzo really should be here aiding us." Even continued in a grumble of an undertone, more to himself than his companion. Milo perked at the sound of the other young man's name, and tilted his head in curiosity, easing the book he was currently working through closed.

"Was that the name of the young man who was with you and-?"

"Yes." Even snapped in annoyance.

Milo's eyebrows shot up as he decided to tread a bit more carefully. This was obviously not a subject to take a crowbar to. He gave Even what he hoped was an encouraging grin as the other scientist continued to glare down at his current tome, scribbling notes every once in a while.

"Well, frankly, I'm just thankful that you happen to be here to help. Ienzo didn't quite seem the type to enjoy our sort of studies anyway. He's most likely happier exploring the city. It's quite a beautiful place, you kno-" Milo glanced up from his work now only to find Even, blatantly staring at him, his book set aside, a look of pure and utter incredulousness on his sharp features. He followed this with an eye roll so pronounced that Milo was surprised that Even topple over backwards.

"Really?" Even sighed, exasperated. "Ienzo is one of the most prodigious minds to ever grace the field of written word, and just imagine if he actually applied himself to scientific advancement. He's brilliant beyond what he knows, and frankly, he's insufferable about that so let's pray that he really never figures out how mentally advanced he is." Even explained with a remarkable pretentiousness. "I've raised him since he was a child, and I promise you, there will be a day when he far outstrips me academically. That day has yet to come, but it's only a matter of time."

Milo stared in wide eyed shock. Scientists were a usually such a surly bunch, angry and protective over their own theories and conclusions as though they were their own children. To hear one of such acclaim defend not his own mind, but the mind of his student, admitting that one day he would be far outranked was something new, something refreshing.

Something strikingly paternal.

"I was not able to realize his potential when I was overtaken by darkness." Even explained in flat, logical terms that belayed none of the true horror which the existence of Vexen had brought to his every waking moments. "Now that I'm whole once again, the conclusion seems all to reliable. The darkness, by nature, takes away pieces of you without being clear entirely how. You change without even realizing it. This is why we must unlock the secrets to the protection of Atlantis, Milo. If we do not, your culture, your people and your life may be at risk." The silence which stretched between them was meaningful. There were no words to encompass the fear within Even's bright green eyes.

"And we'd be making a hell of a lot more progress if my _dear student,_" One could almost hear Even's teeth grinding as he continued. "would knock himself from his petulant idiocy and just decide to aid us."

With another amazingly large eye roll, Even picked up his book once again, and got back to his work. Milo's expression settled into an easy smile. When one is an inter, a simpleminded student, it's easy to idolize the teacher into something beyond human, but as it seemed, they all had their weaknesses. His thoughts drifted fondly back to Kida in the throne room (taking care of her queenly duties, no doubt). With a semi-contented sigh, he lifted himself up from his seat, stretching his lanky arms above him with a huge yawn.

"I've got to go check on her lovely Majesty, my _wife_." Milo bragged with a chuckle, knowing himself to be useless in the throne room, but at least he could offer a bit of support and comfort where it was needed. Even didn't look up from his book, muttering a knowing affirmation. Milo shrugged as he headed toward the door. Even wasn't being rude, he realized slowly, he simply seemed exhausted.

The second the door shut with a soft thunk behind him, careful footsteps sounded from the shadowed corner of the study. Even flipped a page in annoyance, finding nothing of note to keep track of as he continued along, giving the new presence no attention whatsoever.

Ienzo neared his desk, the moment feeling just a touch unreal, as though he happened to be six years old once again and asking Even to check over the spelling on his latest 'mock scientific report'.

"Did you mean it?" He asked, his face carefully shielded from view. There were certainly bright points to having such long, unruly bangs after all.

Even didn't look up. He was furiously jotting down a note before he finally set his pen aside and gave Ienzo a knowing look, complete with delicately arched eyebrow. "The bit about you being a petulant brat, or the bit about you being a prodigy?" Ienzo tried to answer but was cut solidly off by an accusatory wave of Even's pen. "Because BOTH are true." He chided in annoyance. "You're the most gifted mind to ever grace Radiant Garden, the Organization and most likely, every world which has followed. Under my tutelage, you've only grown in potential. And you know all of this, do not play that you don't. How dare you simply walk away when we needed your assistance." Ienzo could barely hear Even grumble something about Aeleus spoiling him rotten with ice cream over the buzzing sound of his own pleased thoughts. "Now, sit down and get to work! You've wasted enough time skipping through the water lilies!" Ienzo eased himself into a seat and settled into their usual comfortable silence, filled with academia, the smell of old parchment and the promise of knowledge.

Only Even seemed to understand his love for this. Perhaps that should have been a dead giveaway sometime before, but it seems to hold true that we're all blind about those we love.

The work had continued and the day had passed blessedly uneventfully which was a sheer creature comfort. As aloof and unassuming as they attempted to appear, it was clear that the entirety of the group was on edge. Their resting was light and their dreams were certainly not sweet. As pleasant as the city had been, nothing could erase the fear of darkness which was constant threat.

A threat which Even seemed to be taking quite personally. Never having been one for healthy sleeping habits, he had slipped directly from the gathering for dinner (unidentifiable fish with nearly unusable utensils, anyone?) to the outskirts of the city. It had not been very hard to sneak out. Frankly, he had not even had to do any real sneaking, seeing an outsider made an individual unquestionable enough that it was a certain matter of unfounded self importance.

The fresh water surrounding the mossy walls of Atlantis were calm and unassuming, shining a pristine yet deep royal blue in the crisp night air. Even breathed deeply, this having been the first time he'd left the confines of his self appointed desk since that very morning. He stretched his muscles with a fluid, lazy grace that he could never seem to muster up whenever around others. Yes, he had indeed explored the idea of social anxiety, but certainly not deep enough it seemed.

But fresh air was not the reason as to why Even had set his hurried steps towards the outskirts, and it certainly was not to take a swim either (unlike his counterpart Milo so very many years ago now).

It was curiosity.

Curiosity which created the spark to push forward when all else seemed unquestionable. Curiosity which had led him to his wonderful, obsessive craft. The very same curiosity that drove him towards his own personal brand of madness. The vehicle was here, just as Milo had described it firsthand.

The iron of the fish's body was was a deep, muted gray, clearly weathered. It looked far more like a skeletal structure than Even had first thought it would have, but with bits and flecks of moss and grass hanging from it's frame, it was far easier to visualize it as a dead fish than it was to see it as anything viable whatsoever. He reached a tentative, slender hand out to touch the rough surface. The sensation was oddly reminiscent of stone. Perhaps it was rather _because_ it was stone, Even realized in amazement. Stone which floated, who could have thought.

Perhaps it was because he knew how to work them that made it such a taunt to want to see these particular fish in actions, swooping from the skies and surfing on the air waves with the greatest of agility. No Atlantean could be convinced of parting with one of their glowing, living crystals, not even for a fraction of a moment. Which was why when the scientist was taking careful mental note of it's dimensions, it's makeup, it's structure (even it's smell), he was so surprised to see those huge eyes glow faintly.

Had he hallucinated it? The fact that he was genuinely concerned that this was a legitimate answer was a testament to his mental stability within itself, but that eye before him was truly glowing, a harsher shade of red now, as he positively stumbled away now from the fish.

He hadn't had the crystal though! He hadn't tampered with the fish, he swore it as he realized exactly how close he was dancing on the edge of his addiction, his downfall. The fish, in turn positively hopped from the moss which had been nearly covering it not a moment before with the greatest, most fluid of ease. The air was it's home, and by it's easy slice of it's fins through space, the vehicle made that quite clear. Even rider-less, it was a beautiful sight.

Or perhaps it would have been if it's eyes were not glowing red and aimed directly at the Academic. Even gulped audibly. Milo had said blue eyes. Pale blue eyes which cut through the darkness as though they were lighthouse beacons, taking a sailor home. No, this fish was all but drawing the shadows unto itself as it hovered before him, a stone testament to all of his current fears in one (bad seafood and the darkness). He might have justified this as a glitch, as a hiccup in programming, but Even knew exactly what the red of those eyes was referring to.

The darkness had not yet been swayed from them. Not for an instant.

He drew forth his shield from his own icy panic as his airborne opponent made to lunge. Even screeched an attack which would never reached his enemy but stone slammed straight into his shield and he was thrown backwards from the sheer force, toppling over in a mass of blue silken fabric and sheer desperation. He made to block once again his shield blocking his view, but the second attack never fell.

With a mechanical sigh, the fish careened to the grown beneath it, Lumaria perched on it's head with an ease which Even could not possibly imagine, particularly after seeing exactly where his scythe was lodged on the fish. Imbedded deep within the eye of his attacker, Lumaria easily and rather wickedly gave his weapon an extra flourish, scattetomering broken glass from the eye on the ground as though relishing the thought of spilling the animal's blood.

Even looked at Lumaria, and then the fish, and then Lumaria once again. It seemed to last an eternity for such a smart man to finally bring himself enough to his senses to shove himself from the ground before Lumaria stepped gracefully from the top of the monster's head. His scythe dissipated into thin air, and yet those crystalline blue eyes refused to blink, even when dyed navy by the darkened light. Even clenched his hands to keep himself from being visibly shaken as he banished his own weapon.

Do not look away, don't you dare look away, Even's pride demanded. "I could have handled it, you know." Even's mind was running at a mile a minute, perhaps even faster than when he was being attacked, in rhythm with the thundering of his heart. It was adrenaline. Surely adrenaline.

Lumaria ventured a small smile, but said nothing in return, letting their silence stretch for a painful moment longer before finally asking. "What was that?" He gestured to the broken fish, looking rather pathetic now that it was missing an eye and steaming slightly.

"The darkness, of course." Even intoned without enthusiasm, carefully hiding fear behind fact. "We haven't outrun our enemy quite yet. We'll have to leave come morning." He planned, watching as Lumaria took a few soundless steps forward, fighting the urge to step back the same exact amount.

Fear of the enemy, indeed.

"We'll tell the rest of the traveling ensemble in the morning." Even admitted with an eye roll, fighting to keep his voice calm, nonchalant. The graceful man seemed somewhat unimpressed by the quirk of his rose colored brow. The silence still stretched between them once again as they fought to understand the enormity of the situation. With a soft hum of agreement, Lumaria turned to return to their quarters before a hand shot out to catch him by the arm.

"Thank you." Even finally broke in, his voice so much more high and uncertain than he would have liked for it to be after hearing it. He groaned inwardly, letting the other man go, trying not to think on exactly how warm his skin had been.

Lumaria smiled enigmatically. "Of course." He replied in undertones.


	5. Chapter 5

The woods were deep and dark. It didn't matter how the weather was. It failed to show through the spindles of the trees, the branches spiraling up into a sky looked anything but natural. Through all of the twisted trees, the barren shrubbery and the eerie hooting of owls, Arlene found herself more unnerved by the uneven ground than anything else. She stumbled along, clomping and thumping her feet on the path like an ill tempered child who had been refused a chocolate. She picked a stray twig from her hair and decided that glaring daggers at the next misshapen tree was the best plan of action for getting even.

Lumaria spotted her and smirked at the silent outburst, the huffing anger. She scowled right back at him, but it was more than clear from the glint in her eyes that she was kidding just as he was playing. Their communication skills went quite a bit beyond the normal amount silent banter. It extended all the way to snarky, bitchy silent play-fights.

Lumaria had clearly stated with the quirk of a brow, 'You have no idea what you're doing. You look like an idiot.'

Arlene had promptly answered with her scowl, 'Suck it, Pinkie. Not everyone can walk around like they fart rainbows.'

Lumaria was hardly making a sound as his feet skimmed the ground with a practiced ease which told nothing of exactly how he had gained those skills. He moved smoothly, with an ease only begotten by countless years of practice, his muscles connected in a succession like a graceful panther stalking in the forest. She heard no noise coming from him.

Surprisingly enough, there was only one other who managed the same feat, Arlene noted with a substantial amount of curiosity. Aeleus's steps were smooth, skilled, and absolutely silent. His ease within the woods seemed more trained than the natural gait of Lumaria who slipped between fallen leaves and twigs. Aeleus seemed to distribute his weight, stepping with the upmost care like a hunter in the shadows of the trees, awaiting the arrival of prey.

They were both pretty fuckin' sexy.

But regardless, she didn't have too much time to think on how awesome it would be to threesome with the both of them (Or maybe just watch them go at it. That would be _amazing_.) She was already tripping over the nearest root which caught on the fringes of her traveling cloak. She pitched forward into Even, who squawked in response and plowed directly into Ienzo. All three ended up in a pile that was two thirds screeching blonds and one third seething angry child-prodigy (who was way past his prime, if Arlene could be entirely honest). The three of them had been making a nearly sinful amount of noise since they entered these godforsaken woods. Even made more noise hiking through the underbrush than she had thought possible of a man quite so twiggy. Really, he should be quite at home among all of these grotesquely clawing trees, seeing as though they seemed to have his exact build most of the time. Ienzo walked just a bit too purposefully to even begin to try to hide the sound of his footsteps. Arlene simply could not be bothered with this absolute nonsense.

It was terrible, being forced to traipse around in the dark forest, clearly haunted from the sound of all the wind through the hidden crevices of the trees and the glares which they were sending down in the group's direction. If all the overused, scary stories were correct, Ienzo was going to get killed first for setting a demon loose, Even would be next for being the 'non-believer'. As long as Arlene kept her legs shut (for now), Aeleus would get it next for trying to protect them, Lumaria would be next for being the pretty boy and Arlene would be left to run screaming from the woods, covered in blood only to be taken by the demon later.

Dames always got killed last in ghost stories, right? Either way, this didn't seem to be the traditional ghost story anyway and Even was less than amused.

"Oh, for darkness sake!" He cried. "Have you absolutely no sense at all!" He scolded as though sense had anything to do with tripping or accidents. "And look at you! You've scraped your elbows. Woman, be more careful! You'll impede our entire party at this rate." He grabbed at her elbows with a resilience and tenacity which he took to all his tasks. She glanced up with a touch of panic and managed to catch Aeleus giving her a reassuring nod as he lifted Ienzo from the forest floor with the greatest of ease, and a notable amount of care. Lumaria lingered at her side, watching Even intently as he man pulled a small, chrome box from his belt, not even large enough to be considered a cigarette case. He pressed a smoothly hidden button on the side and they both watched as the small kit expanded in size as to look like a tiny, plump lunch box. It flipped open, revealing it's contents to be stuffed full to the brim with neat looking, labeled potions bottles. He removed a small, clear one with a crystalline stopper and opened it with a practiced ease. Letting loose an exasperated huff, he continued nagging away as he spread the salve on her bleeding joints.

Although Even was a whiney, insufferable know-it-all at times, there were definitely other moments when he unwittingly amazed her. She hated to admit it, but he was dead useful. The ship, for instance, could be hidden behind mirrors which provided not only shielding but invisibility. It traveled between dimensions and space with the greatest of ease. It blasted space debris and enemies as though it was a joke. Not to mention it had a hot tub in the back and served hot cocoa if you asked politely (the interface could act a bit dour if you weren't _respectful_ enough. Go figure.) Arlene even had a creeping suspicion that the ship could even fold into one of those neat boxes just like the first aid kit, not that Even would ever explain his methods entirely. Ever.

Either way, in times like these when the wonders of modern medicine were given to her with such ease and grace, she could help but be just a touch grateful. Perhaps that would explain the grumble of, "Thanks." right after the task was complete. She felt at the skin of her elbows. Good as new. Could she ever doubt that mad scientist for being effective? She knew that it benefitted him to have her well and ready for battle if the time should come, meaning that in healing her, he was really serving himself, but that didn't change the outcome. He gave a prideful huff before withdrawing and standing. Lumaria plucked Arlene up by the arm, helping her to her feet.

"This is getting ridiculous." Ienzo mumbled, casting his scrutiny at the trees with a distasteful frown. "I've seen all of this before, but this is so predictable and overdone it could have come straight from a bad fairy tale. I bet you anything that Grimm had a hand in this." He groaned, brushing off his own traveling cloak. "If I'm not mistaken, these woods are probably supposed to symbolize our own trials and misfortune due to our misbegotten choices and pre-marital sexual experiences." Was that snark that she detected in his voice?

Masterful use of sassiness. She'd have to keep that in mind for later.

Ienzo raised his hands into the air, calling his Lexicon to his aid. The pages flipped along at a rapid rate. "This is a shoddy show of stupidity. It reeks of the evil Queen's magic." He said with a derisive sniff and a wicked grin. "I'll make short work of you." He flipped a page, and with deep concentration, his small form seemed to lift itself from the ground beneath him. The twisted trees seemed to cower in fear, leaning away from the sizable, glowing book, the inward power which radiated from it's user.

All facts taken into consideration, the sight was fairly amazing, Arlene reflected with the quirk of a brow as she crossed her newly healed arms. The entirety of the cursed woods was all but bowing in the wake of this small, floating form, begging and pleading not to be banished, squirming under his scrutiny. But there was no such luck for them.

The darkness vanished all at once. It was as though they had all taken a breath of fresh air after being caught underwater. The misshapen, twisted trees disappeared to reveal healthy, verdant, tall oaks and maples, their leaves littering the forest floor with a soft green carpet. Sunlight streamed downward on the healthy landscape. The slight chirps, the soft coos of the animals around them returned with a cautious note, as though distrustful of sudden salvation as they were of their previous enchantments.

In the end, it had all been an illusion.

The entire party stared around them, wide eyed with wonder which they may or may not have been willing to admit to. The only one who seemed entirely unaffected (aside from Ienzo, of course) was Aeleus. Arlene noticed this with just a touch of surprise. Surely he was not skilled in illusions as well. He was so grounded to reality, his element was rock for God's sake. Was it possible that he saw through the illusion of the forest as easily as Ienzo had?

"The darkness here seems to be entirely invented." Ienzo sighed, returning to the newly revealed green grass of the floor and shooting a bored expression at the entire party, an unimpressed wave of his hand, a bragging note to his tone. "We should find a new world to approach. This one has revealed to be," He sneered at his bright and cheery surroundings, casting particular distaste at a nearby singing bluebird, speedily joined by it's family for a chorus of delighted twitters, "useless."

"Quite, quite." Vexen muttered, clearly fighting the urge to take out his notebook and start jotting down observations as he looked around in amazement with wide, poison green eyes, hungry for new knowledge, fighting the urge to forcefully extract it. He pulled a key ring from his belt, revealing a small, metal key fob, shined to perfection. It was the size of a walnut though far more flat and sleek in the scientist's usual minimalist stylings. He pressed the small blue button on it's surface twice.

"Beam us up, Scotty." He continued, clearly distracted.

"Who the hell is Scotty?" Arlene huffed under her breath, not even expecting an answer, but also certainly not expecting the blue light which enclosed them next. Aeleus gasped and shivered, clearly knowing what this meant. Lumaria snapped into a fighting stance, clearly not. Ienzo shrugged. Even clicked the button once more and the party was gone without a trace.


	6. Sweet Interlude

"So," Arlene began, for the umpteenth time. "Why are we stopped again?"

"Because, we've reached France." Came the succinct response from Aeleus. Ienzo gave a nod of agreement, his glance never shifting from behind a volume of gothic short stories, but to Lumaria, there was a pleased glint to his eye which had not been there a short while ago.

It was all rather strange, the assassin had to admit. Yes, he had heard of France, which was a neighboring country to his own home world, but no, he had most certainly never had the pleasure of being there. As far as he knew, his only means and need for travel surrounded the need to have performers of the rather underhanded variety. The France he had heard of was also verdant yet rather rural, from his gatherings. What he saw beneath the ship was anything but. The city was bustling with energy as the bell tower chimed high noon, the tones singing chords which he had never thought possible, as though they had floated from dreams. Action of every variety was in full swing, from the selling of baked goods, to livestock, to carpenters in the midst of creating, to hagglers in the midst of haggling. There was not a still individual in sight.

Directly below them, a skinny jester was playing out a puppet show for a group of rather ragged looking children. Charming if not a touch idiotic, he supposed. The Romani gent would never get money from _those_ little peasants, after all.

Even had, essentially, made their little ship into an invisible balloon, kept tethered by a corded metal string running from the ship's sheer bottom to the top of the cathedral. The spires of the cathedral were huge, towering and breathtakingly elegant. There was certainly an imposing quality to them with their seemingly serrated edges spiraling up into the sky, so dangerously close to the ship's exterior (no matter how invisible it happened to be at that moment). Frightfully beautiful, he reflected after a moment, but that was how religion worked after all.

It brought The Devil card to mind.

"What does that have to do with us stopping?" Lumaria continued, pressing onward. They could not seem to get an entirely cohesive response from the duo. Aeleus seemed somehow exasperated beyond his usual stoic mood. Speaking about it seemed to elicit a small shake of his head, as though it wasn't worth the effort of explaining. Really. Ienzo seemed amused, pleased, and Lumaria simply could not ignore the mischievous glint to his slate blue eyes. Somehow, it added to the subtle, smooth beauty of his face.

Arlene huffed loudly to the edge of obnoxious. Who was Lumaria kidding, that eyeroll which followed was entirely full of snark.

"Alright, wonder-duo. You might know our resident mad scientist like the back of your hands, but we certainly don't. What the hell is going on?" She barreled onward, feet set staunchly apart, hands on hips, glaring down at them as though they had the audacity to speak in a different language in front of her and then pretend like she was far too stupid to understand.

Of course, this was not truly the case by any stretch of the imagination. One look at Aeleus made that quite clear. "No, really. It's just fine. He just..." The large man trailed. Ienzo's wicked grin widened.

"Do you think he needs help carrying it?" He replied in sing-song. Arlene's eyes shot open. Lumaria pictured that he must look much the same, for he truly had not been expecting that sort of comment. What could the so called 'prodigy' possibly be talking about?

Vexen had always been one in the past to perform experiments of every sort of variety. Lumaria knew this for a fact. He remembered it, or perhaps more correctly put, he could not forget it. Marluxia had seen far too much in that aspect, having ventured too far into Vexen's labs without his permission, he had stumbled upon a great deal of what he never would have wanted to know about the inside make up of how a 'replica' worked and what precisely made them tick. And bleed.

Could they possibly be speaking of Even dragging back a-

"Even's getting a CADAVER?" Arlene shrieked, her arms hugged around herself as though protecting her body from potential dead-cooties. Lumaria kept himself from snorting in laughter at the display.

"No, no, no." Aeleus responded immediately, waving the notion away as though he found it just as abhorrent. "Nothing like that."

"You have no idea." Ienzo continued indulgently, raising his eyebrows at Aeleus. "He might go a bit overboard. You know he always does."

"That's his problem." Aeleus responded with a troubled frown.

Arlene threw her hands in the air, wordlessly whining about whatever was happening before her very eyes. Lumaria couldn't help but agree, to a certain extent, but to be honest, it piqued his curiosity. Even was capable of a great deal, he was realizing. There was a plethora of aspects of this one dimensional 'mad scientist' which was quickly making him into something far more two dimensional, and dare he say it, _three_ dimensional. Aeleus seemed to look upon his antics with something akin to concern. It was more telling than anything the guardian would ever dare 'tell'. There was certainly a past there, and a strong one and who would ever doubt it? The men had, supposedly, grown up together to a certain extent. It would not be unimaginable that their knowledge of one another was quite a bit more comprehensive then they had ever really let on (yet never denied).

And of course, there was Ienzo, their perpetual boy genius who had unwittingly grown into a man while his heart was absent. It was a study in personality development. There were times when Zexion was present in Ienzo's voice, in the sharp glint in his eye, the sarcastic coldness of his tone.

Usually these moods were directed at Aeleus and Even. A child rebelling against his parents? How very cute.

Finally, there was the scientist himself, the absent man in question. Vexen had been a ruthless academic to the core. Nothing seemed to matter to him beyond the results which they would yield and the information which he could garner further from it. While those memories certainly lingered about him, there was something tamer about Even which he could not quite place. A softening of the harshness of his wicked smile into something that might be slightly apologetic, a tone of voice that was less than shrill, demanding. The 'mad' scientist was just a touch less 'mad', in retrospect.

Hearts had changed them all, he reflected, looking around at the lot of misfits and realizing, in turn and unwillingly, that he was certainly one of them.

The door to the ship thunked open unceremoniously and a high pitched groan emitted from it. It could either be a puppy which someone had kicked into yelping, or it also could be Even whining. Ienzo shot to his feet, sliding his book on to his seat and rushing to the door. Aeleus shook his head yet again, placing his hand at his temples as though to ward away a headache. In any other circumstance, he would have gotten up to help, Lumaria could sense it, but this was 'Even's problem' apparently.

The duo emerged into the galley carrying what looked like a huge, cylindric metal object between them by the rounded handle. Even had half heartedly draped a monk's robe around himself, most likely in an effort to 'fit in'. By the clinically clean look of his face, the pristine shine of his blond hair and the brilliant sheen of the metal object he had been dragging around, Lumaria could only assume he had failed miserably. Of course, you would never be able to tell Even that fact.

"How much did you get?" Ienzo asked, his eyes widening in anticipation as, with a huge grunt of effort, they both set it on the table before them and then rubbing his hands together.

"I filled it, of course. We shall not be here long. I had to make the best of it. It would be unwise not to." Even huffed, wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his sleeve and looking with a note of pride at his spoils. "I'll tell you what, it was hard enough to find, but it is, _by far_, the best."

"I know, I know. You're quite brilliant. Whatever." Ienzo waved the notion off as though he were placating a child with pretty sentiments paired with pretty words.

Arlene and Lumaria had now, both gathered just a touch closer, their eyes peering down at the container. What could it possibly be? Chemicals? Live test subjects? Severed limbs? Knowing Even, it could only be-, but before he could even finish this thought Even cackled. With a look of utter triumph, the scientist removed the lid of the container with an unnecessary flourish.

Revealing chocolate mousse.

"Get the spoons!" He ordered, his grin widening as Ienzo dove for the kitchen, calling back something about 'calling the big one'. "No, that one's mine!" Even sprinted after him, fake monk robes billowing in his wake.

Lumaria looked from Arlene, who was now smiling and dumbfounded, unsure whether to laugh or cry at their stupidity, to Aeleus with what must have been an obvious look of confusion. The large man shrugged and looked just a touch worried about the spoon wielding academics, casting his glance at the commotion in the kitchen before folding his arms with a sigh. "If only I could get them to eat protein with the same sort of enthusiasm." He rumbled softly with a note of wistfulness.

Ienzo and Even rushed back, both having, thankfully, found big spoons and bowls or a duel to the death might have resulted. They didn't wait to offer anyone else a serving before taking a generous portion for themselves and digging in with obvious relish.

Sweets, hm? How very human.

Unbidden, Lumaria took a step forward, plunging a finger into the container to skim the top of the fluffy chocolate. He brought the dessert to his lips, pausing to cast Even an expectant look, a subtle grin before he allowed himself the pleasure of a taste.

And, to his credit, Even watched him with rapt attention, a smear of the same chocolate left on his cheek from his own antics, his bright eyes absent of cohesive thought until he finally spoke slowly, choosing his words wisely.

"You know," He started, staring at the other man's fingertip, his voice tinged with annoyance. "That's entirely unsanitary."


	7. Chapter 6

London is a rainy city. It seemed almost too cliche to admit to that, Aeleus thought in retrospect, walking down the cobblestone streets and trying not to get in the way of any of the glum individuals dashing along the way. The precipitation had stopped for the time being but it certainly did not stop the angry citizens of the gray town from looking as though it had personally affronted them.

Why was it that nature always seemed to be at odds with technology? It was the puzzle that he could never seem to solve, but then again, he really was not pushing himself all too hard to try. It gave him a headache, being so near to the busy streets of civilization. The cityscape made him feel overwhelmingly unwieldy, despite the fact that rather than choose to wear the confining edwardian style clothing, he had chosen to disguise himself in a commoner's style slacks and loose fitting shirt. Of course, it didn't stop him from looking to be the most imposing of the group, but it did prevent him from ripping any of the 'finer' suits that Even had managed to have his have his computer systems replicate.

How Even managed to replicate clothing from certain eras was quite beyond him, but he was also beyond asking questions of that nature as well.

Perhaps it might have been a bit more of a comforting, exciting atmosphere for Arlene. She had, of course, refused to don a corset ("They're so fucking painful"), but she had agreed quite easily to a rather splendidly colored purple dress which suited her vivacious personality. She looked beautiful, Aeleus observed, admonishing himself afterwards for admiring her once again.

Lumaria, of course, looked resplendent in a flamboyantly colored suit of his own choice. One never would have imagined that a pink suit could actually match pink hair, but with that sort of confidence, Lumaria could make anything look good. His ease set him apart from the crowd, which, of course would have been the exact opposite of their intent. He fluffed his cravat, looking pleased as a peacock and he might have earned some admiration from Even if the scientist in question had not already turned the entirety of his attentions to the hustle and bustle of the dour streets. He muttered every now and then of the current time London was in, or the technologies which they were encountering or perhaps even just admiring the surrounding activities. He was quite pleased as long as nothing or no one touched him. Aeleus couldn't count the number of times he had noted him whispering, "Unsanitary." to himself.

Ienzo looked bored. To be honest, he put a great deal of effort into trying to seem as though he were bored the majority of the time. It helped greatly in keeping idiots at arm's length and in giving him space to make his own observations. Aeleus, of course, knew better. The prodigy was rather pleased with his new getup. There was certainly a new spring to his booted step and the dark tailcoated garment fit him like a glove. To what Aeleus was sure would be his dismay, he looked strikingly like his former mentor, Even, who was dressed much in the same style but in a deep royal blue tone. Damned if they would ever admit to it but they seemed every bit as related as all the outsiders assumed that they were, even aside from the mannerisms that they shared when speaking or during the excitement of observing a new city and new environment.

Aeleus knew that this was no new environment for Even though. On the contrary, that man's apprenticeship had mostly consisted of travel and medical study before it became too dangerous and he was needed to lead the castle. That was, after all, how he had met Even all those years ago, on that fateful night he always tried so very hard to forget. Those old memories seemed to be coming to light much more often these days. It was unnerving, perhaps even caused by the stress of their current situation.

"I can't seem to sense any disturbances." Lumaria admitted smoothly, breeching the subject which was on everyone's mind since arriving. Perhaps it was that the darkness was so hard to discern among all of the rather grim stares of the citizens around them, but despite their implications there seemed to be a purposeful gait which they kept. All were people without time for much else but their jobs, Aeleus assumed. Though jobs did not necessarily mesh with joy, it certainly did not incontrovertibly lead to hell in a hell in a hand basket. These people were driven if not slightly depressed, but by no means depraved. Aeleus nodded in agreement.

"It cannot hurt to take a look." Even answered, gesturing vaguely to their surroundings and the town square to which their feet were currently leading. The scientist's eyes narrowed as though the city itself was plotting against them. He knew what Even was thinking. The fear was written quite plainly across his features. It was the same fear which remained among their entire party. Dilan had been taken, dragged back to his own personal rendition of hell not a handful of days prior. The memory was not simply haunting him. It was driving him forward. It stole away precious time for sleep. It hinted at what was possible for every last one of them and what it would ensure would finally happen once it did find them.

They had to find this darkness, lead it away. Giving the Keyblade wielders time to train was imperative, but protecting themselves was also an aspect of their current quest which they could not afford to have fail. Joining Xehanort, least it be willingly or unwillingly would only serve to strengthen his forces greatly. It was beginning to set in, slowly but surely, that they were responsible for protecting one another. But, could Aeleus trust the former 'neophytes', Arlene and Lumaria? Could he put his faith in Even as he once did so long ago? Was Ienzo even mentally sound?

Was he entirely in control of his own power?

It was a different sort of fear, a different anger and strife which lingered in his consciousness. Darkness was not something that could be forgotten. It was not simply a tragically hard time to be remembered as something to have 'survived' or to be told in stories later as having 'grown from'. This inner demon stuck with Aeleus like a stigma, a shadow, a reminder of how very merciless life could be and he in return.

"Then let's take a look around. We'll meet back here in an hour or so." Arlene piped in, snapping him from his reverie with her cheerful tone. She was eager to get a look at the city. It wasn't exactly the most appealing of atmospheres, but Aeleus assumed she probably thought anywhere else was better than being trapped with this motley crew.

With nods of agreement of varied enthusiasm, they wandered to the city square, separating off to where their attention was drawn first. Ienzo bolted it over to a nearby library, apparently having noticed it from the beginning but never even hinted at it. Aeleus smiled knowingly. They wouldn't be getting many useful observations from him. He knew that enthralled prodigy couldn't be bothered if there were books to explore. Aeleus turned and made his way to the square to give the former schemer a bit of privacy with his beloved literature. They would have to depend on Even's copious mental notes after all.

He stepped into the town square himself, marveling at the sheer size of the church which towered before him. It's majestic gothic spires spiraled into the sky, reaching to their God with a heaviness which only a sermon of worship could seem to enthrall. It was gray stone stabbing into a roiling gray sky which dropped slate colored rain on to the muddy streets below. It was no wonder that the people here were so overly depressed.

Even the birds seemed a bit sluggish. Pigeons milled around in front of the church, pecking half-hearted at the soggy ground and looking up hopefully at the passers-by in expectation. The people, of course, didn't seem to notice.

"None of 'em 'll get fed t'day, I'm 'fraid." Admitted a voice from behind him. Aeleus turned to regard the figure, eyes narrowing at the surprising nature of his approach, though quickly keeping his suspicion in check, putting on his usual unreadable facade. He was greeted with the sight of a casual looking man, covered head to foot in a what seemed like black charcoal, plucking at a ragged looking small guitar. Given their surroundings, this was no artist though, no man with the time to devote to leisure. It was soot that coated him, if he could tell anything from the strong, charcoal smell of it.

Yet perhaps he had spoken too soon about the artist comment though. There was a blur of color on the ground next to the pair. How had Aeleus not noticed it before? Had he really been that distracted by his own thoughts, or had this simply appeared in much the same way the mysterious man did? Out of the blue (or gray in this case)? The colors were a mesh of street art, chalk perhaps, which had smeared and sloshed now, entirely ruined to a puddle of happiness among all of the surrounding ones which refused to even acknowledge it.

"Y' see, usually the old woman is out this time 'a day." His voice bounced as he spoke, like a jolly stroll. His accent sounded strikingly different than all the rest of the other accents he had heard today. Rather strange, he had to admit. "She sells the bird feed for a tuppance and sings her song for everyone to hear. They'd buy it, a'course, as long as she was singin' away." He sighed, reaching out to test the air of rain, finding it quite a bit drier than earlier today, apparently, and quite pleased for it.

"Where did she go?" Aeleus prompted, wanting to hear the explanation to this unhappy story. He never had even met this woman but quite frankly, anyone who was giving enough to care for a few hungry, helpless creatures was someone who he felt strikingly akin to, protective of.

The scruffy man shook his head solemnly, casting his glance to the ground. Just as he had suspected. He watched in a remarkably deadened silence as even the rain refused to fall before them, almost in respect for old woman.

After a long moment, Aeleus spoke up again. "What about the birds?" There was something in his voice, a note or a lingering tone that suggested he knew exactly what the answer was for the second time.

"It's like I says before, sir." The man sighed. "They're goin hungry t'day." And every day after apparently. Aeleus watched them peck forlornly at the ground. As if on cue, the man began to hum a small sad tune, calming like a lullaby. It was warm, welcoming in a sense, harkening himself back to past days and fonder times. Far more beautiful mornings where the sun was shining, the flowers were blooming in response. Where Ienzo used to run and laugh, chasing the birds.

Birds.

The soot covered man now had a small, secret smile on his face. The guitar that was in his hand was now being offered to Aeleus. Aeleus, on the other hand, had all but forgotten about the instrument. He grasped the instrument, more out of politeness than anything else. He turned to look around, because perhaps he had meant someone else...? No one would assume that he could help in a situation like this. He strictly kept to himself. Children would only be afraid of his size, his strength. How could he possibly help to feed the birds?

He turned back to face the other gentleman, but found himself remarkably alone. Startled, he found himself looking around rather uselessly again for a signal, a sign that perhaps he had slipped back into an alleyway, dashed to the nearest tavern. Damn, he could have even flown himself into the sky, but both the painting and the man were no where to be found. All that was left was his guitar. Well, that and...

Bird seed.

Aeleus stared at the seed. He was sure if the bag of seed had eyes, it would be staring expectantly back. It was just a touch too perfectly planned, Aeleus reflected, his brow creased in thought. He just happened to meet with the one man who just happens to be carrying a guitar and knows that the birds need to be fed, and happens to let slip that people only need to pay a paltry fee for the seed and who hums the tune rather helpfully before disappearing completely. Aeleus assumed that the money could easily be used by any of the needy young children on the streets.

Tuppance, indeed. This seemed just a bit too perfect.

Regardless, those birds were still pecking uselessly at the ground. The poor little cottonballs of fluff did not even stand a chance and they seemed to be caught in the middle of something just a touch greater than their tiny lives. Their size aside, their lives still mattered. Pity softened the sheer illogicality of the situation as his grip on the small guitar tightened with purpose. He gulped dryly. No one else was stepping up. He hated to admit it, but he had to do the one thing which he absolutely loathed beyond a shadow of a doubt. It had nothing to do with the guitar in his hand, or the prospect of ignoring logic. No, it was attracting unnecessary attention to himself.

He could almost see the judgement in the people's eyes, the fear at his sheer size, his strength. The worst part was, he had no reason to tell them differently. Lexaeus had been on the verge of being a monster. That darkness was within him, after all.

But the birds were now looking up to him, and perhaps he was hallucinating it, but there was a touch of hope to their beady little eyes. Damn. It was now or never.

Lumaria was not impressed. This city seemed to have been whitewashed, or perhaps he should say gray-washed. It was disgustingly boring. The entirety of the mood had been bulldozed with something akin to depressant, and no one seemed to have the ability to shake themselves out of it. Certainly, there was a purposefulness to their hurrying to and fro, but other than that, there was simply nothing.

Arlene groaned something to his side and he knew exactly how she felt. To be 'dressed for a party but nowhere to dance' was entirely sad, just foolish. He quirked an eyebrow at her as she shrugged back up at him, the ruffles of her dress bouncing along behind her.

That was when he heard it. It was near to the point that they had started their adventuring of this cityscape, there was a sound floating along. Music, perhaps. Lumaria listened closely, leaning in to get a better vantage before taking Arlene by the arm and leading her back. She stumbled on the ribbons of her heeled boots before finally righting herself and following along. "What the hell-?" She began but was cut off soundly by a wave of his hand.

Her bright eyes widened as soon she too realized what they were hearing. The slow, bittersweet tune was rather breathtaking. There was simply a tone to it that brought back memories long before Radiant Garden, comforting times which were long past, fondly brought to the present. Lumaria stepped into the square, seeing the first bit of color and it's contrast to the rest of their landscape made it almost obnoxiously bright.

The clouds had parted around the steps of the church. Aeleus stood, a small, weather-worn looking guitar which had seen far better days was in his hands (almost comical considering the size of the man himself). Sunlight, yes actual sunlight, filtered through the clouds and brightening the square, revealing the glittering coins strewn about the guardian as he played his guitar.

Yes, Aeleus was playing the guitar. Beautifully.

Lumaria suspected he might have to pick Arlene's jaw up from the ground. She seemed about as shocked as he felt, though damned if he would ever admit to it. Their current company seemed full of surprises. Aside from the coins which Aeleus seemed to be collecting, the birds about were happily pecking at what looked like seed. The small crowd of people who had gathered to watch the spectacle of the strong man playing such a loving song also seemed to be making themselves busy throwing something...

Bird seed? ...This just kept getting stranger. Of course though, Aeleus would find a way to help the helpless, even in this dank, cold, morbid city.

"He's brilliant, you know." Even greeted, looking at the same spectacle with a fondness in his bright green eyes which Lumaria had never quite seen before. He felt suddenly jealous, wanting to know exactly what the other man was talking about, or how he could possibly be so sure.

"What do you mean?" Arlene asked, saving Lumaria the effort.

"He plays guitar, piano, cello, violin..." Even ticked off the instruments on his fingers, his brow furrowing at the effort of remembering all of them. "And, I think the theremin as well, but I may have to check with him."

"What the hell is a ther-?"

"How did you know all of that?" Lumaria cut Arlene off, not really caring what a ther-whatever was as long he could know more of this hidden history which they seemed to be so solidly kept out of.

"It would be strange if I did not." Even answered rather unguardedly. "I've known Aeleus since I was twelve." He finished with a shrug, looking at the scene before him rather fondly. "And yes, he is, quite literally, a genius." He added, as though this were already quite apparent.

Lumaria was dumbfounded. He fixed Even with a hard look as Arlene made her way down to greet Aeleus. She shoved through the gathered crowd as only her confidence seemed to allow her to do.

"Hey Aeleus!" She cried with a wicked grin, capturing his attention immediately. He paused in his playing, allowing the happy chirping of birds and the carefree chatter of the crowd now take precedence over his own music.

"Now that you're famous and all, if I show you my boobs, will you autograph them?" She chimed in sweetly, causing several well dressed men and women to gasp in horror, and more than a few to faint.

Aeleus blushed.

She flitted forward, letting the crowd go back to their talking, continuing with their milling about, donating every once in a while and then throwing the birds their proper food, as was only expected in a rather joyous sort of way. The sky was clearing and the sun was shining. The day would be far more cheerful than they had first assumed.

"What are you going to do with the money?" She asked him after a moment.

He shrugged. "I was thinking we should give most of it away." He said with a note of respect. Arlene had enough sense to roll her eyes, but enough consideration not to snark at him for it. "We really don't need it." He justified rather unnecessarily. The money was his after all.

"Whatever." It was Arlene's turn to shrug. "We should probably high tail it out of here soon anyway." She continued. "You've done your good deed for today anyway. We probably shouldn't be holding concerts here."

Aeleus nodded with a sigh. "But we need to find Ienzo first." He voiced the concern he was carrying since the beginning of their separation.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot about the brat."

Aeleus frowned.

"Sorry."

With a small nod, he let the jibe pass. Setting his guitar down to clean up the many coins, he happened to look over at the church doors. The scruffy looking man was smiling widely back down at him. Aeleus's eyebrows shot up in surprise, but he couldn't help but smile back in return, giving him a small wave of greeting. The man waved back, and with a knowing chuckle and a prance of a step, he slipped around the side of the church and out of sight.

The library felt a little bit like an attic. It was not an unpleasant sensation, actually on the contrary it made him feel right at home. The study back in Radiant Garden had precisely the same comforts. The soft gray light of the outside world filtered through the windows, casting a slight glimmer on the airborne dust as it passed by the ivory curtains. Yes, the rain had greatly dampened the occasion, but within this cozy setting it had simply turned the air into sparkling silver. The chairs were cushy, the books were leather bound, worn with love and Ienzo's fingers were absolutely itching to pluck them down from their heavy oaken shelves. It had been too long, far too long since he had a moment to himself to be lost within a story.

Not to be mistaken, Ienzo loved his studies. It would take some time away from his youth for him to realize that fact, but he took great comfort in his addiction to knowledge (and how it did not rage on quite as much as Even's). He loved the sensation of learning, of feeling that quick and ready mind of his growing and thriving. Yes, Ienzo knew he was a prodigy, he knew he was brilliant but this was 'old hat', as it were. Perhaps he could surpass Even in the sciences if he put his mind to it, if he drove himself mad with obsessive thoughts and sleepless nights, but Ienzo could not bring himself to do so. His mind hungered for creation and challenge on a different level, on a whole new scope.

Literature.

He was certainly still a scientist, but he could never reach his full potential in that field, much to Even's dismay. He was truly enchanted by the volumes upon volumes of stories told by people. People, whose minds were so very intriguing to pick apart, to study, to manipulate and yet also on some level admire. It was fascinating, or better yet, enthralling.

Literature had always been a grand escape from reality. Books and stories never judged, they never nagged or demanded that the reports get done earlier or that he be more responsible in the care-taking of the castle. They never reminded him that he always had a long way to go in learning his craft. They did not know his past, or the darkest places of his mind. They only served to be a comfort, a source of knowledge, a bastion of sanity when he was so near toppling over the edge.

Ienzo felt fleetingly as though he had suddenly forgotten something.

Shrugging off the sensation, he reached up to take a book off the shelf and spotted an old woman in an exceedingly plain and worn black walking dress staring back at him intently. He withdrew, startled. The old woman held herself with a dignified respect, her back ramrod straight and her hands folded neatly before her, resting on top of a knobby walking cane. She was strikingly ugly, in a way that almost made her seem boastful of it. He felt rather vain that the thought had even unconsciously crossed his mind, but on second thought, he really did not care all that much either way. Ugly is ugly, beautiful is beautiful. Power and control are what really mattered, truth be told. Her bulbous nose was topped with a few, scattered warts. Her eyebrow extended, uninterrupted in a thick, grayish line across her forehead. Yet, her eyes twinkled beneath it all, something secret hidden in that apparently impressive mind.

Ienzo felt a twinge of intimidation and...was that fear?

"Young man," She commented softly, in measured tones as she stepped carefully forward to withdraw a smaller book from a lower shelf. "Is there something that you are searching for?"

"Nothing in particular." He replied carefully, staring back at her all the while.

"Hm, strange." She sighed, flipping through her book before slipping it beneath her arm to keep it stashed away and not forgotten. Turning back to him, he found himself caught in that stare once again, those piercing blue eyes seeing so otherworldly, so jarringly powerful. It dawned on him quite suddenly that this old woman was not as she seemed in the slightest. The former schemer knew a good illusion when he saw one and at this moment, he was staring one straight in the eyes.

Years melted from the woman's face as he concentrated, mentally peeling away the masks but keeping her spell intact as a courtesy (she had hidden for a reason, after all). She was timelessly beautiful, strikingly modest and altogether quite enigmatic.

She winked at him. He jumped in response and blushed quickly afterwards.

"Are you certain?" She continued, looking at him expectantly. Ienzo stayed in dumbfounded silence. A magic user? And one so very skilled in illusions? In this dull, gray place?

"Well, young man," She began again, tightening her grip on her walking stick and setting it against the floor. "I typically find that what I am searching for has typically been right before my eyes all along." She gave him a knowing nod and then withdrew from him with the same measured grace she had entered the conversation with.

Ienzo stood for a frozen moment, listening to the heavy clumping of her cane as she walked away, her silhouette disappearing from the doorway upon her exit. He stood for a moment, letting that encounter sink in before choosing the most apt word he could think of to define it. "...Odd." He muttered.

"Yes. Very much so." Added Lumaria, peering at him from between the shelves in the very next row. Ienzo all but jumped out of his skin, screaming in a way he would never admit to in polite company later. That, of course, earned him an indulgent smile from Lumaria as he turned the corner to join the shaken prodigy. It was the second time within an hour that Ienzo was standing in stunned silence. Unremarkably, for this case, there was rage boiling beneath the surface.

"How long have you been there?" Ienzo growled. He had no idea how Lumaria managed to do it, but he managed to shrug 'gracefully' in response.

"Long enough. So, she wasn't really an old woman, was she?" He pressed on, clearly wanting to know more about Ienzo's abilities.

"Of course not, you disrespectful dolt." Ienzo spat back at him, not liking the sensation of having been blindsided.

"Watch out or you will end up sounding just like Even."

"I do not-!" Ienzo swallowed the rest of his statement, hearing how petulant it sounded even in his own mind. He snapped his mouth shut and once again, he settled into a glare. Lumaria looked like a cat who had just caught a rather frenetic mouse. He smiled, hiding his intentions beautifully.

"Everyone is in the Library looking for you." He gestured to the rather large, yet cramped space. The numerous shelves did nothing to open up the library after all. "We haven't yet had any warnings or triggers. Perhaps it is best that we moved on before the darkness interferes."

"Oh, yes." Ienzo sighed in relief, pushing past Lumaria just a touch too eagerly. He had to find Aeleus, and perhaps even tell Even about this newest encounter. They would both certainly want to know.

Lumaria let him pass, quirking a brow at his haste but not bothering to question it. That 'young man' was just as blind as he had first assumed. For all all bravado of being the brightest 'prodigy' to have lived thus far, he was failing to see the absolute obvious. Strange that he should continue to miss something so very large.


	8. Chapter 7

This was not how Even had imagined their entrance. The flight from London (that horrid gray city with the dirty people) had been rather smooth, and delightfully predictable until they had reached this point. The roiling clouds churned above as they passed over the angry black waves of the ocean. The sun was barely filtering through the moody cloud cover. Rain was sparse, but spitting. It pelted the ocean's surface as they tried to get the Lightcycle (Even insisted on calling it that with a tenacity only he could muster) under control.

Aeleus looked positively ill. He was paler than Even had seen him since he got that raging fever back when they were...fifteen? Either way, it didn't seem rather promising that from his seat, he had his eyes firmly closed, refusing to look at the man central console that Even was currently working furiously over. The man's slender fingers flew over the myriad of silvery buttons which blinked at various intervals, warning, prompting, telling of everything that was going wrong.

Because their landing was not going smoothly. They had not expected this in the slightest. Perhaps they had gotten just a touch overconfident when it came to approaching new worlds, but with their entry into the world of 'Tortuga' (or so his chart stated) they had been met with angry weather and a series of angry ships to go with it. The weather had made them roll their eyes after their foul luck in London, but the ships had made them double-take.

Men on ships who were afraid of foreign technology were one thing. They tended to cower and run, which is extremely convenient, considering that they could hide the ship after just a moment's technological preparation. No, these men on ships were hysterical. They had the exact opposite reaction to what Even had been hoping, and of course, that reaction included cannonballs and copious amounts of angry war-cries.

The scientist had supposed that they all could have been a touch more careful, but alas, it was too late for those precautions now. The silvery airship looked exactly like what he imagined people of this given era might classify as a nightmare or, in the screamed taunts he could hear from their enemies a, 'demon boat from hell'.

Really? They couldn't come up with anything better for his beautifully brilliant Lightcycle?

Regardless, he was in the process of transforming from airship to a seaship while they hovered expectantly over the water. The storm had ensured that they could not keep to the skies currently, but Even was driven now to make their get-away. They had no alternative, unless they wanted to blow these primitive ships to kingdom-come with his own firepower. Somehow that just seemed quite unfair and illogical to him, all in all. Not only could they not defend that sort of attack, they would never know what hit them to begin with. Defense was one thing, bloodshed was an entirely different one.

Aeleus bit back a groan. It was rare that Ienzo ever saw him this way, which was most likely why he looked as though someone had just 'kicked his puppy', so to speak. Lumaria even had his own death grip on the arms of his seats as he watch's Even's progressively more sporadic movements on the dashboard of the control panel. Ienzo didn't seem worried for Even's sake thought, or even his own. He seemed more concerned over Aeleus' health but Lumaria could see the concentration in those poison green eyes, his precision becoming mechanical and almost inhuman, amazing and horrifying all at once.

Arlene was biting back every nervous, sarcastic remark she could think of. Everything from, 'Oh, I suppose your age is effecting your driving, hm, old man?' to 'God, if we damage any of the shiny copper on your ship, they'll have to melt a thousand steampunk goggles to replace it'. Truth be told, she couldn't joke about it because she was scared stiff, all of her sarcastic remarks reduced to a short, nervous giggle. Her nails dug into her own chair as she sat, paralyzed, watching the front window as Even worked miracles at the helm and the ship smoothly descended.

"Hold on." He ordered in clipped tones, yet entirely without panic. "We've taken proper form. We're landing." It was all stated on such a factual basis that he simply pulled back on his controls and Lumaria felt a jolt in his gut before the soft huff and splash of the vessel hitting water. Even gave himself no time to celebrate though. Bolting from his vantage at his console, he made his way to the door. Ienzo jumped up to follow and Lumaria would have put money on the fact that Aeleus would have dashed off after them as well if he didn't look as though he were waging a personal war between attending to an oncoming migraine and a horrendously upset stomach. Being such a strong earth elemental must have it's serious drawbacks at times. Weaknesses.

Shrugging the thought aside for a later date, there were far more pressing matters to attend to. Arlene shakily extracted herself from her seat just as Lumaria did. They gave one another an assessing nod, both equally glad that neither had to pilot the ship. 'Leave it to the nerds after all.' Arlene seemed to admit with a simple roll of her eyes. Lumaria couldn't be happier to agree in that moment. He gave the console a reproachful look before heading for the door.

And the sight which he was greeted by upon exiting had him dumbfounded. They stood on the wooden deck to a ship, aged by the waves, swaying moderately with the force of the wind. The storm seemed to have blown itself out, but this thought came far secondary to the realization that he was standing on an entirely different ship. The wood creaked beneath his booted feet.

...Booted? He did not recognize those boots in the slightest.

The heavy brocade and warmth of a seafaring jacket was hanging from his form. A leather tricorn covered his slightly overgrown pink hair and the ruffle of his cravat peeked forth over the top of his vestments. Even and Ienzo were dressed in something quite similar. It was reminiscent to their disguises in the world which they had just left, but something seemed grimier, tougher about their current state and he was almost certain it had nothing to do with the rain. Arlene was wearing a brocade jacket of her own, her petite form seeming all the tougher framed in dark, heavy fabric. Seriousness did not suit her, nor did the fear in her eyes. Taking comfort in her endless jibes and crude humor, it was odd to see her staring out across the ocean, looking purposeful but terribly lost.

He sensed it too, tasted it in the air like a foul, lingering stench. Fear plagued the boats which were currently aiming their guns, their cannons at them and every single weapon that they possessed at them. Fear which led to desperate men, which lead ultimately to darkness. Lumaria knew how far a desperate man would go, particularly when misled about their causes. The screams of 'demons' and 'hell-children' were becoming all the more audible, palpable.

"The ships cloaking system is hiding it's true nature now, but it's too little too late." Ienzo pointed out unnecessarily. He looked from the newcomers back to Even, having gotten no response from any of them. He adjusted his tricorn to block out the oncoming rain as he made his way back to Even. The scientist in question seemed to be in a faraway state, staring perplexed at the situation before him, giving it time to register and sink through his consciousness.

Adrenaline pumped through his system, making the rain feel colder, the ship feel more solid then ever and those people, those fearful, angry, horrified people seem all the more dangerous. If he chose to shoot them with his current technology, there was no doubt in his mind that they would entirely perish. Yet, if they got close enough, he was absolutely certain that they would meet their own flavor of a grisly end. Futuristic, steampunk styled ship or not, they would not last against a volley of shots in their direction for very long. And aside from the weaponry, he was far more afraid of the screams which were demanding their lives. Technology was one thing, but the minds behind it was a completely different subject. If only he could just get them to cool down.

...cool down.

Even's poison green eyes widened in realization. Ienzo neared him, about to ask for instruction on how to maneuver the ship when suddenly the man in question darted back. Getting a running start he dashed towards the edge of the boat and for a horrified moment, the entire assembly thought he was about to throw himself overboard. He skidded to a halt, flinging a bright blue orb from his hand, using the combined effort of his own centralized power and momentum.

The ball went sailing over the water, no pun intended, skimming the surface with an eerie bluish light, casting a light frost as it went until it finally reached the ships. It plunged beneath the surface and for a second, there was an odd silence that stretched across the oceanic battlegrounds. Suddenly the entirety of the ocean around them exploded into ice, rising forth in sharp shards , freezing the water around them and rendering the enemy's boats absolutely motionless, trapped. The terrified cries of their opponents filled the air as the party watched in dumbfounded silence. It took a great deal of magical aptitude to be able to control your element under stress, and a great deal more to send it such a distance. The glanced to Even, perhaps for confirmation that he truly had done it, but they found that he was already jogging back to the door to the control room, breathless from the effort, running off the thrum of necessity, adrenaline and perhaps hysterics that had prompted that idea to begin with.

"We must escape while they're frozen." He confirmed in a rasp, heading back to the console at his usual quickened pace, yet it seemed all the more grave for their haste. "Get back to your seats and strap yourseves in. We're in for quite a ride."

Aeleus groaned, seeming to have just gotten over the idea of having just 'landed'. Ienzo looked upset. Lumaria took his seat, not liking the idea of the alternative. Arlene did the same, gripping her armrests for support and finally Even pulled back on the controls, and with the groan of gears and machinery, the were sent shooting forward through the water, streaming towards for the nearest port, which should not have been far considering that their entry point said that it would be laughably nearby if they had not been sidetracked by errant seamen and angry weather.

Even squinted at the monitor, giving himself a small, tired sigh along with a satisfied grin. They had dodged death yet again and now they were headed to the one town that could offer him exactly what he needed: a strong drink, no questions asked.

Tortuga was dead ahead.

"Care to join me?"

The question was rather innocent. Lumaria and Even had walked into the rambunctious tavern without the expectation of even finding any seats but they had been pleasantly surprised with the sight that most of the bar had fallen into a drunken stupor on the floor. Bodies littered the ground, snoring mixing in with the incoherent babbling of the usual patrons as they tried to talk themselves out of the fact that they had consumed far too much alcohol and were absolutely sloshed. Yes, inebriation should have been already out of the question considering that they could not allow themselves the luxury of letting their guard down. Darkness lurked around every corner, they they were prime targets, but one could not be constant vigilant, Even reasoned. Aeleus and Ienzo were now on watch (and the transformation of Aeleus from horribly seasick to entirely functional fighter happened within a few short minutes, to Lumaria's absolute amazement). This allowed them just a hint of the free time they had so desperately earned.

Lumaria settled at the bar with an easy grace. His figure was perched on a stool, and even the worn nature of his pirate clothing did not seem to take away from his general appearance. He was gorgeous, Even noted. He removed his leather cap and set it down on the counter next to him as Even moved around the bar. He was slower than usual, the heat of battle having worn off for quite a bit of time now. If truth were to be told, he found the swashbuckling gear to be quite cumbersome. The worn, yet embroidered coat hung around to his knees and swished lightly as he passed to the back of the bar. Lumaria quirked an eyebrow in question but soon realized that the establishment was woefully 'unwatched'. Even the barkeep was busy taking shots with a rather voluptuous woman off in the corner of the dingy room and pretending to look down at his cards when he was really looking down her ample...talents.

Either way, both Even and Lumaria seemed more than willing to ignore the proceedings as the scientist in question (after disinfecting the cups, Darkness forbid he should ever be in contact with germs) poured liberal amounts of a few different liquors. Lumaria watched carefully as they slowly mixed and turned a striking shade of green which almost seemed to glimmer in the gentle lamplight which the tavern used. A chemist to the bitter end, he set a few of the bottles down with a proud flourish. Pushing one of the two tall glasses toward his companion, he fixed him with a challenging grin, daring him to ask what was in it so that he could obviously refuse to tell. After a moment of silence between the two, he huffed and took a prolonged sip of his own glass. Lumaria thought it prudent to finally break the silence with the question which made the most sense between them.

"Should we have sex then?"

Even spat his drink on to the bar. Thankfully, Lumaria's good reflexes carried him through an easy dodge.

The scientist (and currently bartender) could have defined 'stunned' with the kind of look he had instinctively fixed Lumaria with. His mouth was hanging open and his eyes were wide and blank, at a loss for words in a situation where words were serving him so very poorly to begin with. He snapped his mouth closed and wiped himself off with the back of his hand, quickly withdrawing his own lacy handkerchief to mop up his mess from the filthy counter. "W-what are you-?" He stuttered, his mind obviously still reeling.

"Don't be foolish. We've been moving toward this point for ages." Lumaria answered, his voice smooth yet casual. He ran a fingertip along the rim of his glass, taking a careful sip, his eyes never leaving the other man, his gaze watching for any signs of weakness any dead giveaways. Even was absolutely full of them, after all. The taste of the cocktail was certainly something surprising though. Savory, and almost bitingly sweet, it was hard to find any trace of alcohol in the swirling liquid, yet he knew it was there just like he knew that he was correct.

"That isn't true!" Even scoffed, indignant yet the blush which was quite clearly spreading across his pale face was much more apparent as he backed away, and inadvertently into the light of one of the surrounding grimy lamps.

"It is." Lumaria confirmed. "You don't even seem to realize it, but it is. You have been intrigued by me. You study me carefully, and while I don't quite understand the technicalities of what notes you may be taking, I doubt they can all be about my fighting style or my technical skills in battle with my element." He continued onward, quite mercilessly as Even snorted in derision, rolling his eyes so hard Lumaria thought he might catch a glimpse of the wall behind him. He took another long sip while the other man made insulted noises but no actual words came forth. "You watch me. I'm not a fool, Even. I know what you want."

"How do you even come to these conclusions?" He snapped, incredulous. "So it's suddenly an invitation? For someone to look over and see-"

"It just so happens that you have not been alone. I've been watching you too." That stopped him dead in his tracks, the excuses dying on his lips. He stared back at Lumaria, absolutely mute, not for the first time within five minutes which may very well have been a record for the loquacious scientist. He snapped his mouth closed as though trying to take in the words which had been so plainly laid out before him, though his mind did not seem to want to comprehend.

"I do not understand-" But he hardly had the chance to finish his fumbling before Lumaria had a ready answer.

"I want to have sex with you. You do as well, I know this." He explained easily as he slid himself from his seat to step around the bar. Without the comfort of having that wooden countertop between them, Even shrunk against the wall, his brilliantly green eyes widening, if possible. For as smoothly as the man moved, he was remarkably fast and in a matter of a few seconds, he found himself not only pressed up against a wall, but also another body.

The heat coming from him was remarkable, striking. The scent of him, even despite their dingy surroundings, was intoxicatingly sweet and cloying as he felt his thoughts muddle into something far less than their usual snappy nature. The demands of the day, the striking of this sudden surprise, he felt so very taxed. It was as though he were peering at the world through water. In this moment, to his mind, all that seemed to exist was Lumaria's body, those crystalline eyes, the gentle, yet forceful press between the two of them and the kiss which followed.

Yes, a kiss.

It was barely a brush against his own lips, but those perfectly formed, petal soft lips were something entirely different than the former Assassin's general attitude. There was a note of careful askance in the action, his entire body prying in on Even's closely guarded defenses. It did not force itself upon him, it did not pin him into a decision, it did not require anything in return. It simply _was_. Even opened his eyes, tentatively, and realized that Lumaria's own were staring directly back into his, entirely too close for comfort. The feel of his breath against his own lips was almost a suggestion of something more.

Words were failing his miserably and his heart was thrumming madly in his throat. He wanted so desperately to look away, to break that contact which he was almost positive the other man had been holding this entire time, examining him for the same quirks and weaknesses which Even had been so keen to try to catch before, but there was simply no other place to look. Lumaria filled his vision wherever he tried to escape to, and Even didn't doubt for a second that he would take any opportunity to fill him completely and entirely.

His hand was trembling horribly. He realized it when he felt the glass which he still grasping spilling it's contents just slightly over it's edges, wetting his fingers. Everything about the situation was intoxicating, but above all else, there was one sensation which rose above all of the rest, one which overwhelmed and enticed him beyond even what his imagination could produce.

Lumaria was so _warm_.

Even leaned into the touch, setting his glass down with a soft clunk on to the countertop as his arms wrapped involuntarily around the other man's lower torso, resting easily on his hips and drawing him in as though he could absorb that blessed sensation, let it overcome him. His vision swam as he stopped fighting the urge to look away and forgot the instinct completely. Lumaria was breathtaking, quite literally. It did not distract him from the one, singular nagging quip in the back of his consciousness. He had a fleeting thought, a flash of a memory. In his mind's eye, he saw Arlene so clearly, the look of longing which she had fixed on Lumaria so very frequently. He never seemed to take note of it. Strange, for a man so preceptive.

"What about Arlene?" He whispered. The question felt unwieldy, unnatural, as though the situation were begging for him to simply overlook it and pretend that his mind never wandered thus far, yet he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it needed to be aired.

To his surprise, and perhaps a bit of disdain, Lumaria seemed at first taken aback and then he smirked as though sharing a joke. "Arlene?" He murmured under his breath. "Why would you-...Oh, Even, you thought that I was her's?" A deep chuckle resounded in his chest, stifled by his full lips as he kissed the soft skin on the side of Even's neck. The other man shivered and blinked, as though trying to clear his mind. He refused to think it was desire. No, this was simply the lingering effects of using too much magic at once.

"You mean, you're not?" Even asked, just a touch more forcefully.

"Of course not." He laughed. "No, it is purely physical between us. We are far from exclusive, she is simply a distraction, though a particularly close confidante." With a flippant smirk he continued his attentions to Even's slender neck, brushing his lips along the tender skin, but to his dismay the other man seemed to have remarkably tensed. He stared blankly forward, blinking his brilliantly green, unfocused eyes slowly.

"What's wrong now?" Lumaria whispered imploringly, his fingertips running along the other's long strands of cornsilk colored hair before resting on his chest. There was an intimate pause between them, almost as though Even did not want to hear, or could not bring himself to believe the other man as he held his breath in shocked silence. He could not seem to forget Arlene's face, those eyes which trailed after Lumaria in restless hope which she knew that the man would never really see. Had they convinced themselves of complacency? Had they fooled themselves into believing their own lies?

And where would Even ever fit in to this equation? He was the extra man after all.

Even shoved him, quite hard. With a staggering thunk and a hiss of alarm, Lumaria recoiled, looking both affronted, surprised and enraged. Opening his perfect mouth to retaliate, he found that his moment had been stolen by the scientist in question.

"You idiot!" Even shrieked. If Lumaria was insulted at this moment, it was nothing to how Even felt. Searing hot rage burned beneath his scathing glare, his deep scowl. "You absolutely mindless idiot!" He repeated, seething in sheer anger as he blindly swiped at the other man to get him away. "How could you trick yourself into believing such blatant lies?" Somehow, his hand found his glass and he picked it up, and with remarkably adapt aim for someone so incensed, he flung it on the man before him, hitting him squarely in the face. The green liquid splashed true, hitting it's mark with strikingly satisfying precision.

Lumaria sputtered, shaking his head in shock and dismay. This certainly was not turning out as he had planned in the slightest.

"I deserve better! You deserve better!" He shrieked onward, yelling so loudly that a few of the drunken patrons snorted in their sleep before rolling over in unison. Lumaria backed away as the hysterical scientist continued. "And she deserves more than just your casual dalliance! So, if you intend on continuing any sort of relationships, I suggest that you clarify exactly where they stand! If you can't see her feelings for you, you're just as blind as you seem to think I am!" He screamed, plowing mercilessly onward as Lumaria shuffled back, looking quite ungraceful for a beat.

Even grasped hold of the door handle which was right behind him. "You disgust me." He growled, looking murderous as he retreated through it. Lumaria stood, stunned and breathing heavily for a moment, about to wipe the cocktail from his eyes when Even burst out once again.

"And, you had better apologize to her immediately!" He added, retreating once more with a deafening slam. Marluxia edged back again, happy to be rid of the rather unpredictable scientist (no matter how fascinated he was by him) until the door was flung open once again.

"THAT is a BROOM CLOSET!" He spat, red-faced with anger, before storming past Lumaria, heading for the front door.

Even though Lumaria knew how to make an entrance to any room, the Scientist could, without a doubt, make an exit. Lumaria followed along, thankful that no one saw him trip and reel over a bar stool on the way out.

The only problem was that someone had been there after all. From high in the rafters, tucked into the most hidden corner of the hanging, and nearly broken, wooden chandelier as though she were a carving herself, was the nymph, eyes hidden from sight in the dark shadows of the room, she shuddered and stifled a sob. Lies may be upsetting, but it was nothing compared to the truth.


End file.
